GUWAHATI: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has uncovered a large-scale e-cigarette, or vape, smuggling racket through coordinated operations carried out across ports, airports, and Inland Container Depots (ICDs) in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi, and West Bengal over the past few days.
ALSO READ: Assam: Dhubri Administration Prepares For Smooth Conduct of Idd-Uz-Zuha, Engages With Mosque Committees
According to media reports posted May 21, acting on specific intelligence inputs, DRI officers tracked and intercepted several suspicious import consignments that had allegedly been misdeclared to bypass customs checks. Upon detailed examination, authorities seized nearly 3 lakh electronic cigarettes and vapes of different brands, flavours, and specifications, with an estimated market value exceeding Rs 120 crore.
Investigators found that all the seized consignments had originated from China and were concealed inside shipments falsely labelled as items such as “furniture” and “metal chair parts” in an attempt to avoid detection.
Officials reiterated that electronic cigarettes and all Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) are banned in India under the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act, 2019. The law prohibits the production, manufacture, import, export, transport, sale, distribution, storage, and advertisement of e-cigarettes in the interest of public health.