VIJAYAWADA: Officers from the Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) (Preventive) team in Guntur Commissionerate uncovered an illegal cigarette smuggling operation on Thursday, seizing Indian-made cigarettes worth Rs 50 lakh. Acting on specific intelligence, the Anti-evasion wing intercepted a vehicle at Nudurupadu village in Phirangapuram mandal. The accused were found transporting a large consignment of Indian-origin cigarettes, falsely declared on the invoice as safety matches valued at Rs 2.77 lakh. “Upon inspection, 46 poly bags containing 11.04 lakh cigarette sticks from brands like GTPL Step and Gold Vimal were found. The driver could not provide the required documentation,” said Guntur CGST Commissioner Sadhu Narasimha Reddy.
The packages lacked essential data such as manufacturer details, production, and expiry dates, raising suspicions about their legality. A probe is ongoing. In the past five months, the Guntur CGST Commissionerate has confiscated cigarettes worth Rs 3.17 crore.