Foreign cigarettes worth Rs 50L seized

Jalpaiguri: Acting on a tip-off, a team from Jalpaiguri Police conducted naka checks at Paharpur More, Balapara, and Jora Petrol Pump on Tuesday night. During the operation, officers intercepted a truck (registration number WB-57E-4901) coming from the Maynaguri side, which was identified by the source.

The driver, identified as Dilip Kumar Jha (32), a resident of Liluah, Howrah, stated that the vehicle had departed from Guwahati, Assam. Upon inspection, police discovered a large quantity of foreign-made cigarettes concealed beneath bags of tea leaves.

The truck, along with the seized cigarettes and tea bags, was taken into custody and a detailed seizure list was prepared.

During interrogation, the driver admitted that he had procured the goods from the North Eastern region and was transporting them to Howrah, Kolkata, for illegal distribution.

Confirming the incident, District Superintendent of Police Khandbahale Umesh Ganpath said: “Jalpaiguri Police have seized foreign-made cigarettes worth approximately

Rs 50 lakh from a truck coming from the North East. The driver has been arrested and a specific case has been registered at Kotwali Police Station. He was produced before the court on Wednesday.”