DRI seizes smuggled e-cigarettes worth 120 crore in multi-state crackdown

NEW DELHI, May 21, 2026 — The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence has dismantled a major international smuggling racket, seizing approximately 3,00,000 prohibited electronic cigarettes and vapes valued at over 120 crore rupees.

The enforcement operation was carried out over the last few days across multiple ports, airports, and inland container depots located in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi, and West Bengal to curb the illegal import of banned nicotine products.

Acting on precise intelligence, enforcement officials tracked and intercepted several suspicious import cargo consignments that had been misdeclared to bypass customs inspections.

A thorough examination of the shipments revealed a massive stockpile of e-cigarettes of various brands, specifications, and flavors. Investigators established that all the prohibited goods originated from China and were hidden inside shipments falsely labeled as furniture and metal chair parts.

The import, manufacture, sale, and distribution of electronic cigarettes and all electronic nicotine delivery systems have been entirely banned in India since the enactment of the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act in 2019.

The legislation was implemented as a public health measure to protect citizens from the health hazards associated with vaping devices, making the massive intercepted shipment a major violation of national health and customs laws.