Fake cigarettes of some internationally renowned brands worth crores of rupees are illegally smuggled into Kashmir causing huge revenue losses to state exchequer.
Sale of these contraband cigarettes, which are considered highly health hazardous given the content of tar and nicotine present in them, is happening under the nose of the authorities in Srinagar city and other parts of Kashmir at a huge cost to the smokers’ health. Majority of the consumers of these fake foreign brand cigarettes are believed to be boys and young adults.
The packets of the cigarettes available in the market have names and resemble foreign brands like UAE-based Mond and China-based Win or even the US-based Marlboro. However whether these cigarettes are fake: which is made under the names of these brands illicitly within India by cheaters, or contraband: original brands but illegally smuggled first in the country and then to Jammu and Kashmir, is not clear.
As per the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) 2003, a packet of cigarettes or any other tobacco product must have a clear pictorial warning, its nicotine and tar content volume, besides other requirements like the name and address of the manufacturing company and the dates.
“Cigarette packets are required to carry pictorial warnings of a skull or scorpion or certain prescribed pictorial warnings along with the text ‘SMOKING KILLS’ and ‘TOBACCO CAUSES MOUTH CANCER’ in both Hindi and English,” say the Act.
However, these cigarettes available in the market do neither carry any warnings nor the place and date of manufacturing or even the clear label of the manufacturer.
Retail markets across the length and breadth of the valley, particularly dominated in the vicinities of the colleges, schools and universities in Srinagar and other towns openly sell these cigarettes. However, the suppliers are completely working underground.
“There is a huge stock of these cigarettes worth crores present in the market,” said a wholesale dealer, who does not want to be named but knows the trade well.
“These cigarettes are smuggled from Dehli to Srinagar. Trucks transporting fruit and other goods carry a carton or two, for which they get paid well.”
A tax official, who does not wanted to be named, said the influx of the cigarettes has increased post GST implementation, as the Lakhanpur toll post has become lenient in checking.
He could not provide the actual figures of the amount worth these cigarettes are smuggled into the state but said it runs into crores and causes huge revenue loss to the state, given cigarettes are sin taxed at 28 percent with additional 5 percent cess.
The smuggled cigarettes and tobacco products don’t pay any taxes, hence are sold on low prices which results in increase of the sale. There foreign brand names and low prices become reason for their popularity among the youngsters.
Food Safety Officer for Srinagar, Shabir Ahmad said they have seized illegal tobacco products worth lakhs of rupees and submitted 30 persecutions in the court in last six months.
“We are regularly doing inspections to stop the illegal sale of such tobacco products. We are more concerned about the attractive packing and flavours of tobacco products like Mond, Rulli River, Win etc. Such features lay foundation for drug addiction,” he added.
Most of these illegal cigarettes imported or fake have foreign brand names. Mond is a product of UAE-based tobacco company, Gulbahar Tobacco. Win is a product of Honyunhonghe Tobacco group based in Kunmimg China. Rulli River a MYK Tobacco product based in Mynammar. Paris cigarette brand originates from Bangladesh.
A person who manufactures tobacco products and fails to adhere to the norms related to warnings on packages on first conviction shall be punished with up to 2 years in imprisonment or with fine which can extend to Rs 5,000, in case of subsequent conviction shall be punished with up to 5 years in imprisonment or with fine which can extend to Rs 10,000 under Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973. But despite this law, these products are easily imported into the state.