As many as 3,600 cartons of cigarettes, smuggled into V.O.C. Port here from Dubai, were seized by sleuths of Special Intelligence and Investigation Branch (SIIB) of Thoothukudi Custom House on Tuesday.
A total of 8.64 lakh cigarettes were found in the cartons, which had been concealed in 18 foam mattresses staked in a container. The seized contraband was valued at Rs. 65 lakh, said Commissioner of Thoothukudi Customs Ashok, while addressing a press conference.
With the aid of a scanning equipment installed on the Custom House premises, the officials detected the concealed contraband. Based on intelligence inputs that some suspicious cargo was concealed in a container, which arrived from Jebal Ali Port, Dubai, the SIIB sleuths marked the container for scanning.
On examination, the container was found to be stacked with foam mattresses as declared in the Import General Manifest. The sleuths found 18 of the 76 mattresses heavier than the others and also bearing marks of hand stitches on one side. On cutting open those mattresses, the officials found cigarettes of an international brand concealed in the cavity inside.
Mr. Ashok said there were about 18 master boxes in each of the mattresses. Since cigarette smoking was injurious to health, the government adopted a policy of discouraging cigarette consumption by imposing hefty customs duty.
In this case, foam mattresses, which attracted lesser duty, were the declared cargo, the Commissioner said. The entire cargo, along with the container, was seized.
Additional Commissioner of Thoothukudi Customs Suresh Nandanwar said it was the first case detected by the scanner. On the direction of the Additional Commissioner, the officials registered a case in this connection.
