Mumbai. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has carried out a major action against illegal imports at the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) in Nhava Sheva, Mumbai, seizing around 13,000 banned e-cigarettes. Their value has been estimated at more than Rs 4 crore. Officials made the recovery during the examination of a suspicious import consignment.
According to the Finance Ministry, the DRI had received intelligence that e-cigarettes were being brought in concealed inside a container. In the documents, the consignment had been declared as mop rods. A detailed examination of the container found 6,000 UTO Thanos and 7,000 UTO Lens brand e-cigarettes hidden behind the declared goods. Officials also seized the goods used as cover along with the e-cigarettes under the relevant provisions of the Customs Act.
Seizures worth more than Rs 135 crore across the country: Electronic cigarettes and electronic nicotine delivery systems are banned in India under the 2019 law. Despite this, agencies are continuing action to stop their smuggling.
According to the DRI, in financial year 2026-27, around 3.55 lakh e-cigarettes have so far been seized from various ports, airports and container depots in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi and West Bengal. Their total value has been stated to be more than Rs 135 crore.
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