Foreign cigarettes worth Rs 2.18 lakh seized in Thiruvananthapuram

Kochi: Foreign cigarettes worth Rs 2.18 lakh, meant to smuggled into the country, were today seized from a passenger who arrived at the Thiruvananthapuram airport, a top customs official said.

Customs Commissioner Sumit Kumar said officers of Customs Preventive Unit, Thiruvananthapuram under the jurisdiction of Customs Preventive Division, Kochi intercepted a passenger who arrived from Dubai, at the exit gate of the arrival hall of the airport.

As a result of the search of his baggage, 218 cartons of foreign cigarettes of fresh origin having a market value of Rs 2,18,000 were seized from the passenger from Mattancherry here.

"Enquiry revealed that he intended to smuggle the cigarettes by non declaration of the same before the Customs authorities," Kumar said.

On preliminary verification of his passport, it was found that he was a frequent traveller, he said adding further investigation is on, he added.