KOLKATA: A stock of 17.7 lakh sticks of smuggled cigarettes of various foreign brands — valued at over Rs 1 crore — that had been seized and was lying at Kolkata airport for several months was destroyed on Monday.
The cigarettes were destroyed at a facility of West Bengal Waste Management in Haldia under the supervision of Customs officials.
In recent years, the Indian government has made a concerted attempt to curb cigarette smuggling as the foreign cigarettes are on an average 50% cheaper in India and the market size is huge — almost one third of the total cigarettes market.
According to an annual DRI report, 11 crore cigarette sticks valued at Rs 93 crore were seized from various airports in India in 2021-22.
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