Police have seized a large consignment of foreign-brand cigarettes from a courier van in the Karnaphuli area of Chattogram.
The seizure took place on the night of February 22, when police stopped a covered van of SA Paribahan in the Moizzartech area under Karnaphuli Police Station. The vehicle was later taken to the Shikalbaha police outpost for inspection.
During the search, police recovered 6,000 packets of ORIS and PATRON brand cigarettes packed in four large cartons. The cigarettes were found hidden inside cartons labelled as “toys” and “crockery,” according to booking challan documents found in the vehicle.
Police initially estimated the market value of the seized cigarettes at around Tk 12 lakh. However, further checks at specialised shops and online sources suggest the actual value could exceed Tk 20 lakh.
Police said the search operation continued from around 11:00pm until dawn. A case has been filed under Sections 25B(1)(b) and 25D of the Special Powers Act. Three individuals from Bogura and Cox’s Bazar have been named as absconding accused in the case.
Confirming the matter, Shahinur Alam, officer-in-charge of Karnaphuli Police Station, said the cigarettes were counted in the presence of officers and the entire process was video recorded to ensure transparency.
Meanwhile, Md. Morshed Alam Chowdhury, general manager of SA Paribahan’s Kazir Deuri branch, said the company only transports parcels booked by customers. “SA Paribahan does not own any goods. All booking invoices and sender-recipient details are recorded at the time of shipment,” he added.
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