Two remanded
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IMPHAL, Nov 18: The Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, Imphal West, on Tuesday remanded two Bihar natives to judicial custody after they were arrested with foreign-origin contraband cigarettes worth Rs 1.92 crore.
The accused Dhamveer Kumar (27), son of Baudhu Yadav, and Pandav Kumar (20), son of Ram Kumar Yadav, both residents of Begusarai, Bihar were apprehended by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) last night from Mantripukhri area.
According to the Public Prosecutor representing DRI, acting on specific intelligence about the illegal transportation of banned contrabands along the Imphal-Dimapur National Highway, a team led by a Senior Intelligence Officer rushed to Mantripukhri near the NRL petrol pump.
At around 5.50 pm, they located a loaded Tata truck bearing a Bihar registration number parked in a suspicious manner.
On initial questioning, the duo denied carrying any contraband and claimed they were transporting compressed waste carton boxes for recycling.
They requested that the vehicle be searched at a secure location.
The DRI team then escorted the accused and the truck to their Imphal office at Porompat.
During further interrogation, truck driver Dhanveer Kumar admitted that 40-50 cartons of foreign-origin cigarettes were concealed among the load.
Subsequent unloading and thorough search led to the recovery and seizure of 69 cartons of Esse Lights brand cigarettes and 15 cartons of Gudang Garam from the vehicle.
The seized consignment has an estimated market value of Rs 1.92 crore, the PP informed the Court.
The accused were formally arrested for smuggling contraband cigarettes in contravention of Section 7(1)(c) and Section 11 of the Customs Act, 1962.
Stating that the investigation is at an initial stage, the Public Prosecutor prayed for judicial custody of the accused to facilitate a smooth and effective probe.
After hearing the submission and perusing the case records, the Court remanded Dhamveer Kumar and Pandav Kumar to judicial custody till December 2.
The accused Dhamveer Kumar (27), son of Baudhu Yadav, and Pandav Kumar (20), son of Ram Kumar Yadav, both residents of Begusarai, Bihar were apprehended by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) last night from Mantripukhri area.
According to the Public Prosecutor representing DRI, acting on specific intelligence about the illegal transportation of banned contrabands along the Imphal-Dimapur National Highway, a team led by a Senior Intelligence Officer rushed to Mantripukhri near the NRL petrol pump.
At around 5.50 pm, they located a loaded Tata truck bearing a Bihar registration number parked in a suspicious manner.
On initial questioning, the duo denied carrying any contraband and claimed they were transporting compressed waste carton boxes for recycling.
They requested that the vehicle be searched at a secure location.
The DRI team then escorted the accused and the truck to their Imphal office at Porompat.
During further interrogation, truck driver Dhanveer Kumar admitted that 40-50 cartons of foreign-origin cigarettes were concealed among the load.
Subsequent unloading and thorough search led to the recovery and seizure of 69 cartons of Esse Lights brand cigarettes and 15 cartons of Gudang Garam from the vehicle.
The seized consignment has an estimated market value of Rs 1.92 crore, the PP informed the Court.
The accused were formally arrested for smuggling contraband cigarettes in contravention of Section 7(1)(c) and Section 11 of the Customs Act, 1962.
Stating that the investigation is at an initial stage, the Public Prosecutor prayed for judicial custody of the accused to facilitate a smooth and effective probe.
After hearing the submission and perusing the case records, the Court remanded Dhamveer Kumar and Pandav Kumar to judicial custody till December 2.