Rangamati, Dec 21, (V7N) — In a major crackdown on cigarette smuggling, the Detective Branch (DB) of Rangamati police has seized nearly two crore taka worth of illicit cigarettes. The operation targeted a syndicate involved in smuggling foreign-brand cigarettes through the difficult mountainous border regions, evading customs duties.
 
On Friday, (Dec 20) morning, a team from the DB police intercepted a truck in the Bhodvhedi area of Rangamati city, based on a tip-off from an informant. The truck was reportedly carrying 160 cartons of smuggled cigarettes, valued at around 1.92 crore taka. The authorities arrested a man named Jewel, who was caught red-handed in the operation.
 
According to the DB police’s officer-in-charge, Daus Mohammad, they had been monitoring the area under the direction of the district’s Superintendent of Police, Dr. Farhad Hossain. After receiving a credible tip-off, they set up surveillance at the designated location. Upon stopping and inspecting the truck, they discovered the illicit cargo hidden within gas cylinder containers. Jewel, the driver, was apprehended at the scene.
 
The police have initiated legal proceedings against the suspects, and further investigations are ongoing. The DB police have vowed to continue their crackdown on illegal smuggling activities in the region.
 
Previously, in an earlier operation in the city’s Reserve Bazaar area, the DB police had intercepted a speedboat carrying smuggled cigarettes worth 19 lakh taka. The cigarettes were en route to Chittagong via Kaptai Lake.
 
Local sources have revealed that the seized cigarettes were intended for smuggling to Chittagong, where they were to be distributed via covered vans. However, police intelligence intercepted the operation when the consignment was stored near the Technology University area in the early hours of Friday. The smuggling syndicate had attempted to disguise the cigarettes by stacking gas cylinders around them in an attempt to evade detection.
 
In the early hours of the morning, the syndicate attempted to move the cigarettes through Rangamati’s Bhodvhedi and Manikchhari areas. However, DB police successfully intercepted and arrested the suspect, Jewel, while another truck carrying cigarettes was redirected to the city’s Swarnatilla area.
 
Sources also reported that several houses near the bamboo groves along Kaptai Lake are suspected of being used as storage for smuggled cigarette consignments. In response to the rising concerns, Rangamati city police have increased their intelligence operations to prevent further smuggling activities.
 
The DB police have stressed their commitment to tackling the illicit trade, which poses a significant threat to both public health and the local economy.
 
END/AM/SMA/AJ/