DRI busts vape smuggling racket, seizes Rs 120 crore worth e-cigarettes imported from China
New Delhi, May 21
In a major crackdown against illegal import of prohibited nicotine products, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence on Thursday announced that it has busted a large-scale e-cigarette smuggling racket in its operations across several ports, airports and ICDs in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi and West Bengal in last few days.
Acting on specific intelligence, DRI identified, tracked and intercepted multiple suspicious import consignments that were mis-declared to evade customs scrutiny, according to Ministry of Finance.
Detailed examination led to the seizure of nearly 3,00,000 electronic cigarettes/vapes of various brands, flavours and specifications valued at more than Rs 120 crore, the ministry said.
These prohibited e-cigarettes were found to be sourced from China in every instance and imported in concealment in the items such as such as "Furniture" and "Metal Chair Parts".
Electronic cigarettes and all Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) are prohibited in India under the the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes (Production, Manufacture, Import, Export, Transport, Sale, Distribution, Storage and Advertisement) Act, 2019, enacted in the interest of public health and to protect people from harm.
Meanwhile, last month, DRI busted a highly organised gold smuggling syndicate operating through the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International (CSMI) Airport under a targeted operation codenamed 'Operation Golden Drop' in Mumbai.
According to the DRI, acting on specific intelligence inputs, officers intercepted and seized three kg of foreign-origin gold valued at approximately Rs 4.8 crore and arrested one accused.
Investigations conducted so far have revealed a sophisticated and meticulously coordinated modus operandi, the apex anti-smuggling agency of India said on May 20.
The smuggled gold dust, converted into wax form, was concealed inside specially designed egg-shaped capsules.
These capsules were allegedly ingested and carried into Mumbai by transit passengers, DRI said.
The DRI said the smuggled gold was later received by a cleaning staff member employed at a food outlet within the airport premises.
The employee allegedly helped in clandestinely removing and delivering the gold outside the airport. The accused has been arrested.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Finally some action! China is flooding our country with banned products and we need to be more vigilant at all ports. These e-cigarettes are dangerous for our youth – I've seen kids in my neighbourhood getting addicted to vaping. Ban is correct but enforcement must be stronger.
Impressive operation by DRI 👏 They are catching smugglers left and right – first the gold smuggling at Mumbai airport, now this. But I wonder if the fines are high enough to deter these criminals. Seems like a lucrative business if they're importing 3 lakh vapes.
Misdeclaring vapes as 'furniture' and 'metal chair parts' – such a shameless tactic by smugglers. Hats off to DRI for their intelligence work. But I'm concerned about the cleaning staff involved in the gold smuggling case. Such vulnerability at our airports needs to be addressed.
While I appreciate the crackdown, I'm not sure the complete ban on e-cigarettes is the best approach. Many people use them to quit smoking regular cigarettes. But I understand India's public health concerns – youth vaping is a growing problem globally. Tough situation. 🤔
What surprises me is the scale of this operation – ₹120 crore worth of banned products! And these are just the ones they caught. Makes you wonder how much is actually getting through. We need better screening at ports and stricter penalties for smuggling. Well done, DRI.
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