Nagpur: In a decisive crackdown on smuggling, the Customs Department at Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport, Nagpur, thwarted an attempt to illegally import foreign-origin cigarettes on Sunday morning.
Acting on specific intelligence and under the guidance of Avinash Thete, Commissioner of Customs, Nagpur, officers from the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) and Air Customs Unit (ACU) closely monitored passengers arriving from Sharjah. Their vigilance paid off when two passengers, Mohammad Zaki and Abdul Zahid, who arrived on Air Arabia Flight G9-415, drew suspicion. Both men were carrying three bags each and attempted to pass through the green channel meant for passengers without dutiable items.
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On inspection, customs officials uncovered 701 boxes of foreign cigarettes, each containing 200 sticks, totalling 1,40,200 sticks. The seized goods are estimated to be worth around Rs 14 lakh. “The passengers had concealed the cigarettes ingeniously in their luggage, assuming they could slip through undetected. But our officers were already on alert for such attempts,” a senior customs officer said.
The operation was executed under the supervision of Assistant Commissioner Rupendra Meshram, with active participation from Superintendents Rajesh Titarmare, Vinod Narnaware, Shyam Sonkusare, and Inspectors Sunny Singh, Sheetanshu Shekhar, and Havaldar Gaurav Chhonkar.
A customs official, speaking on condition of anonymity, noted that smuggling of foreign-brand cigarettes is a recurring problem as offenders seek to evade hefty import duties. “Such illegal consignments not only cause revenue loss but also pose health risks due to lack of proper regulation,” the official said.
The cigarettes were seized under relevant provisions of the Customs Act, 1962, and further investigations are underway to trace the supply chain and local recipients of the contraband.
