CHENNAI: AIU sleuths in Tiruchy International Airport seized 51,600 foreign cigarettes worth Rs 7.82 lakhs from a passenger flying in from Sharjah on Monday.

According to sources, while the AIU officials were inspecting the baggage of the passengers from Sharjah, who flew in on Air India Express flight (No IX 614), they suspected the movement of a male passenger and took him to a separate place and inspected his belonging in which they found that he was smuggling as many 50,000 sticks of ESSE Special Gold Cigarette in 250 cartons and 1,600 sticks of Davidoff White Slims Cigarette in eight cartons (each carton with 10 packets and each packet containing 20 sticks) together valued at Rs 7.82 lakh.

Subsequently, the officials seized the bundles and secured the passenger for further interrogation.