DRI busts vape smuggling racket, seizes Rs 120 crore worth e-cigarettes imported from China
The DRI busted a large-scale e-cigarette smuggling racket, seizing nearly 300,000 vapes worth over Rs 120 crore.Summary
In a major crackdown against the illegal import of prohibited nicotine products, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) announced on Thursday that it has busted a large-scale e-cigarette (vape) smuggling racket. Acting on specific intelligence, DRI officers identified, tracked, and intercepted multiple suspicious import consignments that were mis-declared to evade customs scrutiny. A detailed examination led to the seizure of nearly 300,000 electronic cigarettes/vapes of various brands, flavours, and specifications valued at more than Rs 120 crore. These prohibited e-cigarettes were sourced from China and imported in concealment within items such as "Furniture" and "Metal Chair Parts". Electronic cigarettes and all Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) are prohibited in India under the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act, 2019, enacted to protect public health. Meanwhile, last month, DRI also busted a highly organized gold smuggling syndicate operating through the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai, seizing 3 kg of foreign-origin gold valued at approximately Rs 4.8 crore.
(Source：Lokmat Times)
