Officers of the Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST), Anantapur division, have seized cigarettes valued at about ₹3.48 crore in the Anantapur district.
It was detected that 56,10,000 cigarette sticks of ‘Paris’ and ‘Gold Step Filter’ brands of Indian origin, packed in 187 cartons, were concealed behind 399 packets of matchboxes, said CGST Commissioner (Tirupati and Guntur Commissionerates) Sadhu Narasimha Reddy.
The team led by G. Anitha, Assistant Commissioner of Central Tax, Anantapur division, intercepted a container on Thursday at Marutu toll plaza on National Highway 44 in Anantapur district.
“It was found that the vehicle was transporting the cigarettes under the safety matchbox invoice. The Anti-evasion wing of Tirupati Commissionerate is probing the case,” Mr. Narasimha Reddy told The Hindu on Friday.
During questioning, the container driver said the vehicle was coming from Patna of Bihar, and the ‘matchboxes’ were being transported to Madurai in Tamil Nadu.
“Value of the seized cigarettes worth ₹3.48 crore, along with the matchboxes, worth ₹2.39 lakh and the vehicle was seized,” the CGST Commissioner said.
Investigation is on.
