Guwahati: The Assam police successfully foiled the unlawful importation of foreign cigarettes in the Merapani locality of the Golaghat district on Friday.
Initial reports state that the 142nd battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) unit performed a nighttime check at the Merapani border and recovered a significant number of foreign cigarettes. The cigarettes, which were made in Indonesia, were found when a Tata 407 with the registration number AS-05-C-0756 was inspected.
A stunning 1500 boxes of cigarettes totaling several lakhs of rupees were seized.
The accused allegedly attempted to sneak cigarettes into the neighbouring state of Nagaland, according to reports. The CRPF arrested the car’s driver and turned him over to the Merapani Police.
In another incident, a truck carrying contraband cigarettes was impounded at the Madanpur toll gate in Changsari, Assam. The lorry, which was travelling from Manipur and had the licence plate UP-21-CT-1985, was stopped and searched by customs officers.
A sizable number of illegal cigarettes, including the popular Easy Black and Easy Light brands, which are used often in Indonesia and Korea, were found inside the car during the search. The truck’s driver and its handyman were detained and put into custody by the police.
This seizure is a part of broader operations by the customs division to stop the importation of illicit cigarettes from abroad.
The contraband cigarettes and the seized truck were brought to the customs office on Nilomani Phukan Road in Guwahati.
An investigation into the situation has been launched by the authorities.