Customs officials busted yet another foreign cigarette trade racket here on Monday, seizing 10,500 cartons of Paris brand cigarettes from a makeshift warehouse at Gollapudi and took two persons into custody. The contraband is valued between Rs. 25 lakh and Rs. 50 lakh.
The source of the premium quality cigarettes is being inquired into. Customs inspectors are investigating the links some tobacco traders in Vijayawada and Guntur have with their counterparts in other states from where these cigarettes are believed to be smuggled.
Fifty cartons of Forever brand cigarettes were seized from the same warehouse.
The last major seizure of foreign cigarettes was worth Rs.25 lakh from a shop-cum-warehouse in One Town. A part of that consignment belonged to a Guntur-based company.
Many foreign cigarettes contain a very high content of tobacco dust which is especially injurious to health. In spite of their hazardous nature, foreign brand cigarettes are a big hit among youth due to their slim make and distinct flavours.
