In a major haul, the Assam police on Friday foiled illegal smuggling of foreign cigarettes in the Merapani locality in Golaghat district.
According to initial reports, a large quantity of foreign cigarettes was seized at the Merapani border during a night-time search conducted by number 142 battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) unit. The cigarettes, manufactured in Indonesia, were discovered during the search of a Tata 407 vehicle with the registration number AS-05-C-0756.
The seizure amounted to a staggering 1500 boxes of cigarettes, worth several lakhs of rupees.
Sources informed that the accused were trying to smuggle the cigarettes to the neighboring state Nagaland. The driver of the car was apprehended by the CRPF and was handed over to the Merapani Police.
Meanwhile, in another instance, a truck loaded with illegal cigarettes was seized at the Madanpur toll gate in Assam’s Changsari. The truck, bearing the registration number UP-21-CT-1985, was en route from Manipur when it was intercepted and searched by customs officials.
During the search, a significant quantity of banned cigarettes, including popular brands Easy Black and Easy Light, commonly used in Indonesia and Korea, were recovered from the vehicle. The driver and the handyman of the truck were apprehended and taken into custody by the authorities.
This seizure is part of the larger efforts made by the customs department to curb the smuggling of illegal cigarettes from outside the country.
The seized truck, along with the illegal cigarettes, was brought to the customs office in Guwahati’s Nilomani Phukan Road.
The authorities have initiated an investigation into the matter.
