Bhubaneswar: Couple of days after busting a high-grade marijuana smuggling racket, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized 50,000 sticks of smuggled foreign-origin cigarettes valued at approximately Rs 10 lakh at Biju Patnaik International Airport in Odisha capital late on Monday.
Five individuals have been detained in connection with the case.
According to sources, the DRI officials intercepted a group of eight passengers arriving from Dubai carrying large quantities of undeclared foreign cigarettes concealed in their luggage. The five detainees, hailing from Uttar Pradesh’s Rampur district, were reportedly part of an organised effort to smuggle the contraband into India for black marketing. Each of them was carrying 5,000 sticks of the smuggled foreign-origin cigarettes.
During the search, two high-end smartphones, believed to be iPhone models, were also seized from them.
Preliminary investigations indicate the group had been making repeated trips between Dubai and Bhubaneswar. Their plan was to transport the seized consignment to Kolkata for distribution and illegal sale in the black market. A comprehensive probe is underway to uncover the full extent of the smuggling network, including potential links to suppliers in Dubai and distributors across India.
On September 12, 2025, the DRI had made a similar seizure from a 63-year-old passenger, identified as Sarabjit Singh, at the airport here while attempting to transport the 58-kg consignment to Delhi by train. He had also arrived in Bhubaneswar from Dubai.
