COIMBATORE:The Air Customs Intelligence Unit on Sunday seized 99 cartons of foreign cigarettes worth Rs 50,000 from a passenger at the Coimbatore International Airport on Sunday.
Being a bailable offence, the passenger, Abu Thahir (43) from Madurai, was freed after seizing the cigarettes and fining him Rs 75,000. Thahir, who could pay only Rs 25,000, was freed on bail.
“As per customs baggage rules one cannot keep more than 100 cigarettes in hand. Besides, under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, one cannot keep cigarette packets without the statutory pictorial warning. Abu Thahir brought 19,800 cigarettes. The packets did not have the pictorial warning. He violated two rules,” said Anantha Kalyana Krishnan, Assistant Commissioner, Air Customs Intelligence Unit (Airport).