Bengaluru: Customs officials at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) seized 88 lakh cigarette sticks between April and September in the first half of the 2026–27 financial year, marking a nearly 57% increase compared with the 56.05 lakh sticks seized during the corresponding period last year.

The seizures underline a rise in attempts to bring non-compliant cigarette consignments into the country through Bengaluru airport. According to customs data, the estimated value of the seized cigarettes increased from Rs 7.98 crore in the first half of FY26 to Rs 10.21 crore in the same period of FY27.

A senior customs official told Deccan Herald that the department had seized around 1.31 crore cigarette sticks during the whole of the previous financial year, while seizures in the first six months of the current financial year alone had reached approximately 88 lakh sticks.

Cigarette consignments arrive from overseas

According to customs officials, cigarette consignments typically arrive on flights from Southeast Asian countries, including Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam, as well as West Asia, particularly the United Arab Emirates.

Investigations suggest Cambodia could be a significant source of the consignments, with some shipments possibly routed through the country from China.

Customs officials are examining the movement of such consignments and the circumstances surrounding their import. The increase in seizures has drawn attention to the scale of cigarette-related violations detected at the airport.

Between April and September this year, customs registered 297 cigarette cases, compared with 283 cases during the corresponding period in 2025.

Although the increase in the number of cases was relatively modest, the quantity of cigarettes seized rose considerably, indicating that the cases involved a larger volume of tobacco products.

Suspected counterfeit cigarettes and import violations

Many of the cigarettes seized at the airport are suspected to be counterfeit, according to the report. However, customs cases are primarily registered for importing prohibited goods that do not comply with applicable regulations, including the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003.

The law prescribes health warnings on cigarette packaging, including pictorial warnings covering 85% of the principal display area.

Consignments that do not meet the prescribed requirements can be treated as prohibited imports under Section 111(d) of the Customs Act.

International travellers are permitted to bring limited quantities of tobacco products for personal use, subject to applicable conditions and compliance requirements. The stated allowances include up to 100 cigarette sticks, 25 cigars or 125 grams of tobacco.

Customs officials distinguish between permitted personal-use allowances and consignments that violate import regulations. Non-compliant goods can be seized and dealt with under the relevant legal provisions.

E-cigarette cases nearly double in September

Alongside cigarette seizures, customs officials have reported a rise in cases involving electronic cigarettes. The number of e-cigarette cases registered in September nearly doubled compared with August, according to the report.

Between April and September, customs registered 179 e-cigarette cases and seized 46,582 devices.

E-cigarettes are governed by the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act, 2019, which bans their production, manufacture, import, export, transport, sale, distribution, storage and advertisement.

A senior customs official told Deccan Herald that even a single e-cigarette can constitute a case under the applicable law. However, the seizures during the six-month period involved substantial quantities rather than merely isolated devices carried by individual passengers.

The increase in cases has placed e-cigarettes alongside conventional cigarettes as a focus of enforcement at Bengaluru airport.

Legal provisions and possible arrest

The report also highlighted the legal consequences associated with the value of seized goods. Cases involving goods valued above Rs 50 lakh attract arrest provisions for cognisable, bailable offences, while cases involving goods valued above Rs 1 crore are treated as cognisable, non-bailable offences, subject to the applicable legal provisions.

Those arrested are produced before a magistrate.

The seizures during the first half of FY27 indicate that customs enforcement at Kempegowda International Airport continues to encounter substantial consignments of cigarettes and e-cigarettes that allegedly violate import restrictions.

With 88 lakh cigarette sticks seized between April and September, the total for the first six months has already reached a significant proportion of the previous financial year’s seizure figure. The accompanying rise in the estimated value of confiscated cigarettes and the detection of thousands of e-cigarette devices highlight the continuing enforcement challenge at the airport.