Title - Tobacco seized at Mumbai Central

MUMBAI: In an overnight crackdown at Mumbai Central, the GRP intercepted three trains and seized 20 cartons of tobacco and 10 cartons of Indonesian cigarettes. Two men were arrested and the GRP is probing whether there was any complicity of railway staffers.

Around 9.30pm on Monday, 10 cartons of tobacco were seized from Shatabdi Express. The modus operandi is to cross tracks and later throw cartons across a fence to a waiting vehicle. "We arrested Sunny and Amit Singh for ferrying the consignment outside the Terminus," said senior inspector R V Trivedi.

Another 10 cartons were seized from Viramgaum Express and 10 from Gujarat Mail on Tuesday. A probe is on to ascertain if railway staffers are also involved.

The accused were carrying a receipt which stated that the contents of their cartons were plastic bundles worth Rs 400, whereas the actual cost of the tobacco and imported cigarettes runs into several lakhs.