A joint team of police, customs, officials from the Association of Bhutanese Industries, and DeSuups seized nearly Nu 3 M ( price according to duty-free) worth of tobacco products from land customs station at Ahlay in Pasakha, yesterday.
The seized consignment consists of 30 boxes and six sacks of chewing tobacco, 12 cartons of cigarettes, and four sacks of bidi. The boxes were covered with 28 blankets. The consignment was seized while transhipping. Police impounded both the vehicles involved in the transshipment of consignment. Police are yet to find the owner(s) of the consignment.
According to police, despite strict surveillance put in place at transhipment areas, people use a various mode of operating to smuggle illegal products. Three days ago, eight big cartons of chewing tobacco were also seized from Ahlay land customs station. Pasakha police recorded many such petty incidents in the past few months, too. And amid the COVID-19 situation, it is considered as a breach of public order and tranquility, under Section 448 and “Criminal Nuisance,” under Section 410 of the Penal Code of Bhutan.
Meanwhile, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, to deter such illegal activities along borders and transhipment area, CCTV cameras were also installed.
Sonam Penjor
