Kokrajhar Police seize 19,500 smuggled cigarette packets at Srirampur Naka
Synopsis
Kokrajhar Police seized 19,500 packets of smuggled cigarettes concealed in a vehicle at Srirampur Naka in western Assam on 20 August 2026, arresting three accused. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma publicly commended the team, reinforcing the state's stated drive against illicit trade and revenue leakage.
Key Takeaways
19,500 packets of smuggled cigarettes were seized from a vehicle at Srirampur Naka , Kokrajhar district, Assam.
Three accused were apprehended at the check point during the operation.
Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma personally commended Kokrajhar Police for the seizure.
Srirampur Naka is a key vehicle screening point on the Assam–West Bengal corridor, regularly used to intercept smuggled goods.
The seizure aligns with Assam's broader push to curb revenue loss from untaxed consumer goods crossing internal borders.
Nearly 20,000 packets of smuggled cigarettes will not reach the grey market — not after Kokrajhar Police intercepted a concealed consignment at the Srirampur Naka check point in western Assam on 20 August 2026. Three accused were apprehended on the spot, and the haul has drawn a personal commendation from the state's top executive.
The Chief Minister's Office of Assam confirmed that 19,500 packets of cigarettes were found concealed inside a vehicle intercepted at the Srirampur Naka point in Kokrajhar district. The CMO credited the seizure to the 'sharp vigil' of the police team, and noted that Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma personally commended the officers for their alertness against illicit trade.
Why Srirampur Naka is a pressure point
Srirampur Naka sits on a key corridor connecting Assam with West Bengal, making it a natural chokehold for goods — licit and illicit — moving eastward. Kokrajhar Police, the district unit responsible for border check posts in this stretch of western Assam, mans the naka as part of routine traffic screening. Smuggled consumer goods, particularly untaxed tobacco products, are a recurring problem at such internal border points, where price differentials and weaker enforcement chains create an opening for grey-market operators.
Assam's push against revenue leakage from illicit goods
The seizure fits a pattern the Assam government has been building for several years. State police units regularly report confiscations of smuggled consumer goods at entry nakas — actions the government frames as protecting both public health and state revenue. Untaxed or counterfeit cigarettes undercut legitimate GST collections and fund informal supply chains that are difficult to trace. A haul of 19,500 packets represents a meaningful volume, enough to supply a substantial retail network if it had cleared the check post undetected.
CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, who has been vocal about law-enforcement vigil since taking office in 2021, has used social-media commendations as a visible tool to signal state priorities and motivate field units. Whether the three arrested accused face prosecution under excise, customs, or other statutes will determine how far this case travels beyond the naka.
Point of View
Who has built a strongman-on-law-order brand since 2021, amplifying such actions on official social media keeps that narrative alive between larger announcements. The Srirampur Naka corridor's recurrence in anti-smuggling reports also points to a structural gap: so long as tax and price differentials persist across state lines, interception at nakas treats symptoms rather than root causes. Prosecution outcomes for the three accused will be the real test of whether these operations translate into deterrence.
NationPress
20 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Srirampur Naka located?
Srirampur Naka is a vehicle check point in Kokrajhar district , western Assam, positioned on the corridor connecting Assam with West Bengal and used to screen traffic for smuggled goods.
How many cigarette packets were seized by Kokrajhar Police?
Kokrajhar Police seized 19,500 packets of smuggled cigarettes concealed in a vehicle intercepted at Srirampur Naka on 20 August 2026 .
Who commended the Kokrajhar Police for the cigarette seizure?
Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma commended the Kokrajhar Police team for their 'sharp vigil' against illicit trade following the seizure.
How many people were arrested in the Kokrajhar cigarette smuggling case?
Three accused were apprehended at the Srirampur Naka check point when the smuggled cigarettes were discovered concealed in their vehicle.
Why is cigarette smuggling a concern for Assam?
Untaxed or counterfeit cigarettes moving across internal state borders undercut GST revenue collections and sustain grey-market supply chains, prompting the Assam government to prioritise enforcement at key nakas like Srirampur.
