DRI Seizes 55,000 E-Cigarettes at Kolkata's SMP Port

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), the anti-smuggling arm of the Ministry of Finance, seized about 55,000 smuggled electronic cigarettes at Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port in Kolkata on 24 October 2026. The seizure, announced on 28 October 2026, was valued at roughly Rs 13.50 crore.

How the goods were hidden

Officers acting on a specific tip-off stopped two containers that were moving as a transshipment consignment bound for Nepal. The paperwork described the cargo as something harmless: one load was declared as water glass, the other as ceramic mugs. A close examination of the first container turned up 40,000 e-cigarettes of the IGET brand in a range of flavours, tucked in among the declared goods. The second container gave up about 15,000 more, carrying brands such as VTV, VOKO, Bang and Ejoy. The cover cargo was seized along with the devices under the relevant provisions of the Customs Act.

Why e-cigarettes are banned

Electronic cigarettes and every form of Electronic Nicotine Delivery System, usually shortened to ENDS, are prohibited in India. The ban flows from the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act of 2019, which covers production, manufacture, import, export, transport, sale, distribution, storage and advertisement. Parliament passed it in the interest of public health and to shield people, especially the young, from the harm these devices can cause.

The wider crackdown

This was not an isolated case. In the current financial year 2026-27, the DRI has already seized close to 3,00,000 e-cigarettes valued at more than Rs 120 crore. The hauls have come from ports, airports and inland container depots spread across Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi and West Bengal, which suggests that smugglers are routing consignments through several entry points rather than one.

Points to note