Assam Rifles seized a huge consignment of foreign-origin cigarettes on Friday in the Champhai district of Mizoram.

The seizure was made by the Serchhip Battalion of the 23 Sector Assam Rifles under the aegis of the headquarters inspector general of Assam Rifles (East) at Zokhawthar in Champhai district.

Officials informed that the seizure was worth around Rs 23,40,000.

According to a statement from Assam Rifles, an operation was carried out based on specific information, during which the foreign cigarettes were seized.

The Customs Department has taken over the seized contraband items to initiate further legal proceedings, the statement added.

It may be noted that in an earlier incident, a consignment of foreign-origin cigarettes worth over Rs six lakh were seized by troopers of Assam Rifles from Mizoram’s Champhai district on May 4.

The Assam Rifles, in an official statement, said that the approximate cost of the recovered foreign origin cigarettes was worth Rs 6,05,800.

Meanwhile, the Government Railway Police (GRP) seized a massive consignment of illegal Burmese cigarettes worth lakhs on May 16 from Kamakhya station in Guwahati.

Two people were also taken into custody by the railway police in connection with the incident, on charges of smuggling.

They were taken in for questioning and based on their confessions, the GRP along with Fancy Bazaar police conducted raids in that area.