Illegal tobacco trade in city on Customs radar
A day after busting a major cigarette smuggling racket at One-Town here, the Customs Department is looking for clues to identify other places where the illegal trade is thriving. The focus is now on Guntur city, which is the hub of tobacco business in the State, and some areas in Vijayawada where the business has strong roots.
According to sources, some pockets in Vijayawada have become safe havens for illegal manufacture of cigarettes and other tobacco products. The Customs Department is gathering intelligence inputs on these hideouts. The department, however, is not in a hurry to conduct further raids fearing that suspects could escape along with the products once they sense the possibility of raids.
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