The Finance Ministry said the agency has seized about 3.55 lakh e-cigarettes worth over ₹135 crore so far in FY27. In a separate case, seven Bangkok-bound passengers were arrested at Kolkata airport.
Key Highlights
- DRI seized around 13,000 e-cigarettes at Nhava Sheva port near Mumbai.
- The seized consignment was valued at more than ₹4 crore.
- FY27 seizures of e-cigarettes have crossed ₹135 crore across four states and Delhi combined?
- Seven Bangkok-bound passengers were arrested in a separate foreign currency case at Kolkata airport.
- DRI also reported the recovery of a crystalline substance from a bus passenger’s luggage and the seizure of two elephant tusks in Assam.
New Delhi, Nov 10 — The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized around 13,000 e-cigarettes worth more than ₹4 crore at Nhava Sheva port near Mumbai as part of a crackdown on illicit trade, the Finance Ministry said.
The ministry said the agency has seized around 3.55 lakh e-cigarettes valued at more than ₹135 crore so far in the 2026–27 financial year. The seizures took place at ports, airports and inland container depots in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi and West Bengal. India prohibits e-cigarettes and other electronic nicotine delivery systems on public health grounds, the ministry said.
Seven arrested at Kolkata airport
In a separate operation, DRI officers arrested seven Bangkok-bound passengers at Kolkata airport in a case involving the alleged smuggling of foreign currency. Acting on specific intelligence, officers intercepted the passengers in the early hours of November 6 and searched their hand luggage and checked baggage.
The ministry’s account of the passenger searches put the value of the US dollars and British pounds recovered at ₹3.12 crore. Officers found currency concealed inside notebooks, in double-layered compartments in trolley bags and in shoes. Some notes were tucked into the pockets of clothes packed in checked baggage, while others were buried deep inside hand luggage and checked bags.
According to the ministry, the passengers could not produce documents establishing ownership or lawful possession of the currency. All seven were arrested and charged with attempting to smuggle foreign currency out of India under the Customs Act and foreign exchange regulations, the ministry said.
Separate recoveries on Delhi–Bhopal route and in Assam
On November 5, DRI officers intercepted a passenger travelling by bus from Delhi to Bhopal. During a search of the passenger’s luggage, officers found three silver-coloured plastic packets concealed in a bag. The packets contained a white crystalline substance weighing a total of 6.642 kg. The ministry’s account described the appearance and weight of the substance.
In Assam, DRI officers seized two elephant tusks in a separate operation against suspected wildlife trafficking. The tusks measured 29 inches and 30 inches and weighed about 3.7 kg together. The ministry said commercial dealings in elephant tusks are prohibited under Indian law
Editorial note. The supplied copy gives two figures for the Kolkata case, ₹3.5 crore and ₹3.12 crore. The story attributes ₹3.12 crore specifically to the currency recovered during the passenger searches.
