The Airport Customs Commissionerate, Chennai Customs Zone destroyed 5.5 Lakh Sticks of Foreign Origin Cigarettes at Gummidipoondi on 25.08.2024 as part of a drive against illegal import of Foreign Origin Cigarettes, e-cigarettes and other contrabands. Along with cigarettes, E-Cigarettes and Alcohol which were smuggled into India were also destroyed. The estimated value of cigarettes and other contrabands destroyed is about Rs. 12.5 Crores. These goods were smuggled into India in contravention of the provisions of the Indian Customs Act, 1962.

 

2. The contravention of the terms and conditions of "Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply, and Distribution Act, 2003 (COTPA, 2003)" was also noticed. The seized Foreign Origin Cigarettes packets did not have mandatory pictorial health warning in compliance of Notifications issued time to time by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. As per COTPA Act, 2003, the cigarette packets are required to have, inter alia, mandatory health warning to cover 85% of the principal display area of the package. These smuggled cigarettes costs cheaper for the consumer as these are usually smuggled into the county without payment of Customs duties and GST. The smuggling of Cigarettes and other tobacco products are done to avoid the duty and the compliance of other regulations related to the import/ sales of tobacco-related products. The smuggling syndicates often indulge in smuggling of such items in guise of cover cargo or by mis-declaration of goods as some other items. Import of E-cigarettes is governed by the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes (Production, Manufacture, Import, Export, Transport, Sale, Distribution, Storage and Advertisement) Act, 2019.

3. As illegally smuggled Cigarettes and other tobacco products are non-compliant of statuary guidelines and warnings, the said count of seized goods were disposed of by way of destruction as per prescribed guidelines by the officers of Chennai Airport Customs, in presence of a representative from NGO on 25.08.2025.

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SS/KR

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