The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized foreign cigarettes worth nearly Rs 10 lakh at Bhubaneswar Airport today and detained five individuals from Rampur district in Uttar Pradesh.
Officials reported that the accused carried bags full of foreign cigarettes from Dubai. During the search, authorities also confiscated two iPhone 17 mobile phones.
Investigations revealed that the group frequently travelled between Dubai and Bhubaneswar to smuggle cigarettes. Their plan was to transport the consignment by road to Kolkata for illegal sale.
Eight people arrived from Dubai in total. Large quantities of cigarettes were also recovered from three others. Since those were country-made, officials imposed heavy fines before releasing them. The individuals remain detained until fines are paid.
The seized items and detained persons were handed over to the Customs department. A detailed investigation is underway to identify the wider smuggling network. Authorities suspect organised black market operations targeting multiple cities.
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