Guwahati, March 8: Acting on specific intelligence, the East Guwahati Police District (EGPD) team from Basistha Police Station intercepted a container truck and seized a massive consignment of foreign-made cigarettes worth around ₹2 crore in Guwahati.
According to a post shared by Guwahati Police on X (formerly Twitter), the operation was carried out at Lalmati near Nidhi Bhawan after police received inputs about the illegal transportation of contraband goods.
During the operation, the police team stopped an Ashok Leyland ten-wheeler container bearing registration number NL-01-AF-9838. Upon thorough inspection of the vehicle, officials discovered a large quantity of foreign-made cigarettes concealed under carton boxes.
Police recovered 4,600 packets of cigarettes, amounting to 5,84,000 sticks, from the vehicle. The seized cigarettes included several foreign brands such as ESSE Light, Black, Win, and Gudang Garam. Authorities estimate the total market value of the seized contraband to be around ₹2 crore.
The driver of the container, identified as Raju Thakur (44), a resident of Motihari in Bihar, was immediately apprehended at the spot.
Police officials have seized both the vehicle used in transporting the cigarettes and the contraband items. The accused driver is currently in custody, and legal proceedings have been initiated in connection with the case.
Authorities suspect that the cigarettes were being transported illegally for distribution in the local market or other parts of the region. An investigation is underway to determine the source of the consignment and identify other individuals involved in the smuggling network.
The successful interception highlights the continued efforts of the Guwahati Police to curb illegal trade and smuggling activities in the city and surrounding areas. Further investigation is ongoing to trace the larger network behind the transportation of the contraband cigarettes.
