The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) today seized smuggled cigarettes worth Rs 64.99 lakh at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport complex here.
The central agency also booked three persons linked to a city-based courier company in the smuggling case, a DRI statement said here.
This was one of the biggest seizures of smuggled cigarettes at courier terminal of the city airport in recent past, it added.
The cigarette stocks had arrived from Dubai.
"Based on a specific intelligence regarding cigarette smuggling taking place at the air cargo complex at Ahmedabad (airport), the officers of DRI intercepted and detained certain imported consignments received in the name of 'Rainbow Courier and Cargo Pvt Ltd'," it said.
"A total of 50 consignments containing 9,99,940 cigarette sticks of foreign origin imported from Dubai and attempted to be smuggled through courier terminal were seized under provisions of Customs Act," the statement said.
The cigarettes were of Indonesian-origin and their present market value is Rs 64,99,610. Three persons - Ranjan Kumar, Dharmesh Shah and Jignesh Gadhvi - were booked in the case of smuggling foreign brand cigarettes, DRI said.
During investigation, it was revealed that the same people had recently smuggled foreign origin cigarettes valued at around Rs 1.12 crore, the intelligence agency said.
The money for purchase of such smuggled cigarettes had been sent to Dubai through hawala (illegally transmitted payments) channel, the statement said.
