Aizawl, Aug 24: Assam Rifles, acting on specific intelligence, intercepted a vehicle and recovered 15 cases of illegal foreign-origin V Cigarettes during an anti-smuggling operation at Seling in Mizoram’s Aizawl district on August 22.

The operation was launched following credible information regarding the movement of suspected smuggled goods through the area. Acting swiftly on the intelligence, Assam Rifles personnel intercepted a Tata Sumo Gold and conducted a search of the vehicle.
During the operation, the personnel recovered 15 cases of foreign-origin cigarettes, with the seized contraband estimated to be worth approximately ₹36 lakh.
One individual was apprehended in connection with the suspected smuggling activity, while the vehicle allegedly used for transporting the contraband was also seized.
Following the recovery, the seized cigarettes, vehicle and apprehended individual were handed over to the Customs Preventive Force, Seling, for further investigation and legal proceedings.
The operation highlights the continued efforts by security and enforcement agencies to curb the movement of illegal goods along vulnerable routes in the Northeast. Smuggling of foreign-origin products through border and transit areas remains a concern, with enforcement agencies maintaining surveillance and acting on intelligence inputs.
The successful interception also underscores the importance of coordination between security forces and civil enforcement agencies in tackling organised smuggling networks.
Further investigation by the Customs authorities is expected to establish the source and intended destination of the consignment and identify any wider network involved in its transportation.