Rs 12 lakh worth imported cigarettes seized in Hyderabad, one arrested

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], June 14 (ANI): The Hyderabad Commissioner's Task Force, North Zone arrested one person from Chandrayangutta area here and seized a huge cache of smuggled foreign cigarettes worth around Rs 12 lakh.
Acting on credible information police on Saturday raided a house in Al Jubail colony and apprehended Mohammed Ahmed who used to illegally procure imported foreign cigarettes from Delhi and stock it at his home to sell to pan shop vendors, petty vendors in and around Hyderabad.
Seized material includes 18 cartons containing a total of 8795 cigarette packets, worth Rs. 12,60,000.
According to sources, these cigarettes were illegally smuggled from countries like China, Malaysia, Switzerland and South Korea to evade taxes and were being sold in Delhi, Hyderabad and other states at cheaper rates with heavy margin to the sellers, as compared to Indian brands.
The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) has made it mandatory to have a graphic health warning on the 85 per cent space of the cigarette packet and the Union government levies heavy taxes on tobacco products to discourage their sale.
However, these foreign cigarettes have no health warning on it.
On inquiry, he failed to produce purchase bills, tax invoice vouchers of the material.
The accused along with seized products was been handed over to Chandrayangutta Police Station for further investigation and action. (ANI)