Excise team seizes banned Hans tobacco worth Rs 26.5 lakh from Ernakulam godowns
The Excise department seized 26,250 packets of Hans, a banned tobacco product, from two godowns near Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district. The operation was conducted jointly by the Excise Commissioner's Squad, Excise Intelligence team and Perumbavoor Excise Range during raids on premises near a lorry stand.
The godowns were reportedly used to store Hans under the guise of cattle-feed stock. Tobacco products were allegedly transported in sacks during night hours using lorries and vehicles. The seizure is part of an ongoing investigation linked to a previous confiscation of Hans worth around Rs 1.3 crore in Kottayam under Operation Thunder.
The Excise department is investigating the involvement of suspects from Kottayam and Kollam districts in the storage and distribution network.
