Five Lakh Foreign Cigarettes Worth Rs 1 Cr Seized in Jirighat, Truck Driver Held

Cachar Police dealt a major blow to illegal cigarette trafficking after seizing a large consignment of foreign-made cigarettes and apprehending a truck driver during a special operation in the Jirighat area of Cachar district on December 16, officials said.

Acting on credible information, a police team intercepted an Ashok Leyland container truck bearing registration number NL-01-AG-6334. During a detailed search of the vehicle, officers recovered foreign-made cigarettes concealed inside a specially created chamber in the body of the truck.

According to police, the seized items included 50 cartons of cigarettes. Each carton contained 50 medium-size packets, with every medium packet holding 10 small packets. Each small packet contained 20 cigarette sticks, taking the total number of seized cigarettes to around five lakh.

The driver of the truck was identified as Digambar Bhivakar, son of Popat Bhivakar, a resident of Village Tapneswar under Jamkher Police Station in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra. He was taken into custody for questioning.

Addressing the media, ASP (Crime) Rajat Kumar Pal said the operation was carried out on December 16 based on specific inputs. He stated that the estimated value of the seized cigarettes in the black market could be around Rs 1 crore. He also confirmed that the seizure took place in Jirighat.

Police said the investigation is still underway, and it would be premature to comment on the origin of the consignment or its intended destination. Necessary legal action has been initiated as per law. Further details are expected to emerge as the enquiry progresses.