Imported cigarettes worth Rs 1 crore seized by Delhi police, one arrested

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New-Delhi: In a major crackdown on the illegal tobacco trade in northeast Delhi, Delhi Police have arrested four people and seized 2,82,640 prohibited imported cigarettes worth more than Rs 1 crore.

The operation was carried out in two phases. Police first recovered 12,640 imported cigarettes from three men in Karawal Nagar before seizing another 2.70 lakh cigarettes of various brands during a raid at a warehouse in Budhpur Industrial Area.

On August 4, police received a tip-off about a consignment of prohibited imported cigarettes being delivered in Karawal Nagar. A trap was laid in Shiv Vihar, where three men arrived on a motorcycle carrying gunny bags and waited for a customer. The police then intercepted them and during the search, police recovered 79 cartons containing 12,640 imported cigarettes manufactured in Indonesia and arrested three people in the connection.

Police said the cigarette packets did not carry the mandatory health warnings required under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (COTPA) Act, making them illegal for sale in India. The motorcycle used to transport the consignment was also seized.

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Based on the recovery, an FIR was registered at Karawal Nagar police station under relevant provisions of the COTPA.

During interrogation, the arrested men disclosed the identity of their supplier. Acting on the leads, the investigating team traced and arrested the alleged supplier, Neeraj Kapoor (55), from Delhi on Wednesday.

Anther follow-up raid was conducted at a warehouse in Budhpur Industrial Area led to the recovery of around 2.70 lakh more prohibited imported cigarettes of different brand.

Also Read: 7 Bangladeshi Nationals, Two Rohingyas Held In Tripura For Illegally Entering India

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