In a special operation, conducted by Customs in Rangpur, approximately 300,000 sticks of illegal cigarettes of the Black Diamond brand were seized. The cigarettes were recovered on Monday night during a raid on a covered van in the Rangpur Sadar area.
Circle Revenue Officer of the Rangpur VAT Office, Samiran Acharya, confirmed the operation.
According to Customs sources, the Black Diamond brand cigarettes of Abul Khair Company were being illegally transported in a covered van with the intent to smuggle them. Acting on a tip-off, officials of the Customs, Excise, and VAT Department began the operation late Monday night.
During the operation, a suspicious covered van was stopped and searched. Several cartons inside the vehicle were found to contain an estimated 300,000 sticks of Black Diamond cigarettes. The seized cigarettes are currently being kept in Customs custody.
Customs authorities stated that efforts are underway to identify those involved in the incident and to take legal action against them. Initially, it is believed that the seized cigarettes were being transported for distribution to various parts of the country through illegal channels.
Regarding the matter, Circle Revenue Officer Samiran Acharya said that 300,000 sticks of Black Diamond cigarettes were seized during a late-night operation on Monday by the Rangpur Divisional Customs, Excise, and VAT Office. However, he declined to provide further details citing the ongoing investigation.
