VIJAYAWADA: Directorate of Revenue Intelligence sleuths on Friday seized foreign and garden variety cigarettes worth `60 lakh stored illegally in a warehouse at Guntur. Based on specific intelligence, officials from Vijayawada raided the godown on Thursday evening and seized the material, a DRI release said.
Several packages marked Hyderabad to Guntur at the storeroom contained foreign-made cigarettes. Three lakh sticks of Indonesian brand Djarum Black and 120 packs (1.48 lakh sticks) of homegrown Sunil One cigarettes are among the seized material.
The consignments did not have any GST invoice or customs documents showing duty payment and legal import. The Indian-made cigarettes were handed over to Guntur GST Commissionerate for further investigation.
The import of cigarettes is governed by FTP 2015-2020 and is subject to the provisions contained in the Cigarettes and other tobacco products ( prohibition of advts and regulation of trade and commerce, production, supply, and distribution) Act, 2013 read with cigarettes and other tobacco products (packaging and labelling) rules, 2008.