Patna, Dec 26 The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) apprehended two individuals and confiscated a large shipment of foreign cigarettes on Wednesday, according to officials. The estimated worth of the seized cigarettes amounts to Rs 1.5 crore in the international market. Acting on specific intelligence regarding cigarette smuggling from Myanmar, the DRI set up a trap at the Gaighat toll plaza on National Highway 57. "As soon as the two men, traveling in a container, arrived at the Gaighat toll plaza, we surrounded the vehicle and took them into custody. They were driving a container truck registered in Haryana," stated a DRI official. Upon thoroughly inspecting the container, we discovered the cigarette shipment that had been manufactured in Myanmar. The cigarettes were cleverly hidden among bamboo in the container. The shipment entered india through the Arunachal Pradesh border, originating from Myanmar. During the interrogation, they provided information about the consignment and its transport route. The shipment was being sent from Guwahati, Assam, and was headed for Delhi. Both individuals are employed as drivers and helpers for the truck, hailing from the Moradabad district in Uttar Pradesh. The DRI officials, acting on precise intelligence, established a trap at the Gaighat toll plaza on National Highway 57. The DRI team is currently investigating, concentrating on both the backward linkage (the source and production of the goods) and forward linkage (the intended distribution network). Additional information is being gathered to dismantle the wider network involved in this illicit trade. The thorough follow-up investigation by the DRI may uncover a significant trafficking network and cross-border smuggling operations. Earlier, on december 21, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) carried out a major operation in muzaffarpur, leading to the arrest of one individual and the seizure of 2 kg of morphine on Saturday. The seized morphine has an estimated value of nearly Rs 5 crore in the international market. This high-value substance had been smuggled into muzaffarpur from Myanmar.
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