DRI seizes 71 lakh smuggled cigarette sticks worth Rs 14 crore in Northeast, arrests four
DRI seized 71 lakh foreign-origin smuggled cigarettes in multiple Northeast operations, including a major Mizoram haul. The action led to four arrests and underscored the agency's push against cross-border networks linked to Myanmar.
- Jun 12, 2026,
- Updated Jun 12, 2026, 4:58 PM IST
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized around 71 lakh sticks of foreign-origin smuggled cigarettes valued at approximately Rs 14 crore in a series of operations conducted across the Northeast since May this year, officials said on Friday, June 12.
The enforcement actions led to the arrest of four persons allegedly involved in the illicit trade, according to a statement issued by the DRI.
In the largest seizure, DRI officials, with assistance from the 34th Battalion of the Assam Rifles, intercepted and seized more than 45 lakh sticks of foreign-origin cigarettes in Mizoram on June 11. The consignment comprised cigarette brands including Mond, XSo, ORIS and Patron.
One person was arrested in connection with the seizure.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the cigarettes were smuggled into India from Myanmar through the Zokhawthar sector along the Indo-Myanmar border, the agency said.
In a series of separate operations conducted over the past few weeks, DRI officers seized an additional 26 lakh sticks of foreign-origin cigarettes and arrested three more persons.
Officials said the coordinated operations were part of the agency's ongoing efforts to curb cross-border smuggling and dismantle illicit trade networks operating in the region.