Customs Department destroys foreign cigarettes worth Rs 29.66 crore, ganja worth Rs 14.44 crore

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: As part of Special Campaign 3.0 of the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, Guwahati CGST and Customs Zone, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) destroyed 9077.24 kg of Ganja and 1.51 crore cigarette sticks of foreign origin seized under the Customs Act, 1962.

The ganja, or marijuana, valued at Rs. 14.44 crore and cigarette sticks of foreign origin worth Rs. 29.66 crore were destroyed at Sawkuchi in the city in the presence of senior officials.

The drug destruction drive was carried out in the presence of CBIC Chairman Sanjay Kumar Agarwal as part of the ongoing Special Campaign 3.0. Chief Commissioner CGST and Customs, Guwahati Zone, Bandhana Deori, ADG DRI G M Kamei, CCP NER Shillong Mahfuzur Rahman, Pr. ADG DG HRD Rajeev Yadav, and Regional Officer of State Pollution Control Board Debasish Dey were also present at the destruction drive.

Guwahati Customs, in the previous financial year 2022-23, carried out the destruction of drugs on June 8, 2022, wherein 7472.386 kg of ganja, valued at Rs. 7.72 crore, were destroyed. The previous destruction of cigarettes of foreign origin was taken up on March 29, 2023, in which 1.78 crore foreign-origin cigarette sticks, valued at Rs. 30.23 crore, were destroyed and disposed of along with other customs-seized goods like black pepper, dried dates, and anti-mosquito coils.

The present destruction is being undertaken by CBIC under Special Campaign 3.0 in an effort to ensure efficient management and disposal of seized goods with a view to enhancing public welfare and the nation's well-being. The destruction also ensures cleanliness and frees up office space, which are the main drivers of Special Campaign 3.0. The destruction of drugs also ensures that the nation is freed from the menace of drug abuse.

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