NEW DELHI : Directorate of Revenue Intelligence officials have seized 71 lakh smuggled foreign-origin cigarette sticks worth Rs 14 crore in the North-East Region, and arrested four persons, the finance ministry said on Friday.

Since May 2026, operations conducted by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) have led to seizure of 71 lakh sticks of foreign-origin smuggled cigarettes across the North Eastern Region, a finance ministry statement said.

Among major operations, DRI seized more than 45 lakh sticks of cigarettes of brands such as Mond, XSo, ORIS and Patron in Mizoram on June 11. This operation was carried out with the assistance of the 34th Battalion, Assam Rifles. One person has been arrested in the case.

Preliminary investigation indicates that the cigarettes were smuggled into the country from Myanmar through the Zokhawthar sector along the Indo-Myanmar border.

In a series of operations in the last few weeks, another 26 lakh such cigarettes have been seized, and three persons have been arrested, the ministry added. (Source: PTI)