Foreign cigarettes worth Rs 8 lakh seized at Chennai airport

Officials of Air Customs Intelligence Unit (AIU) today seized Rs eight lakh worth foreign cigarettes, smuggled from Abu Dhabi and concealed along with medical kits and equipment, meant for coronavirus treatment, at the Anna International airport here early on Friday.

Airport sources said the cargo flight from the Gulf country landed at the airport carrying medical kit and equipment and as per protocols the customs officials has to clear them without any delay in view of the coronavirus pandemic. While checking them, the officials found six parcels booked as medicines, addressed to Tuticorin. On suspicion, they opened them and found 63 bundles of foreign cigarettes valued at Rs eight lakh.

The officials seized the consignment and found that the address given in the parcel was fake. Customs officials have registered a case and are investigating. The smuggling of cigarettes in a cargo flight carrying medicines for urgent needs, that too at a time when the passenger flights were grounded due to COVID-19, have baffled the officials.