- By Akansha Pandey
- Thu, 09 Oct 2025 01:59 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Wednesday arrested a smuggler near Kalesar on the Gorakhpur-Lucknow highway with foreign cigarettes worth Rs 1 crore. The cigarettes, made in Korea, were brought from Myanmar to Guwahati, from where they were being transported to a major businessman in Delhi.
On Wednesday, the DRI received a tip-off that a smuggler was heading to Delhi via Gorakhpur with a consignment of foreign cigarettes. Following this, the DRI team increased surveillance between Jagdishpur and Kalesar. While monitoring vehicles on this route, they stopped a car for inspection.
Upon checking the vehicle, a large quantity of foreign cigarettes was discovered. A person from Western Uttar Pradesh was transporting the contraband. Noting the suspicious activity, the DRI team arrested him. He is currently being interrogated.
According to the information, the Korean cigarettes were brought to Guwahati via Myanmar. From there, they were being transported to Delhi through Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
There is a very high demand for foreign cigarettes in Delhi and other metropolitan cities. In the last few months, several consignments of cigarettes being taken to Delhi have been seized. In February, a large shipment of cigarettes being smuggled from Guwahati to Delhi was also intercepted near Jagdishpur on the Kushinagar-Gorakhpur four-lane highway.
Also Read: Bihar Elections 2025: Banka Administration Fixes Rates For Campaign Expenses Ahead Of Assembly Polls
In that incident, 10,000 packets of Korean-made cigarettes were found concealed in a bamboo-laden truck. The value of that seizure was estimated to be around Rs 1.5 crore. Both the accused arrested in that case were also from Western UP.