Delhi Police Crackdown: 94,000 Illicit Cigarette Packets Seized in Major Raid

Delhi Police's South-West District Operations Cell seized 94,000 illicit cigarette packets, lacking health warnings, from a godown. Two men were arrested, revealing cigarettes imported illegally from Greece and Dubai, intended for Delhi-NCR distribution. A case was registered and investigations are ongoing to dismantle the network.

The Delhi Police's Operations Cell from the South-West District has made a significant breakthrough by dismantling a local racket dealing in illicit cigarettes. In a recent raid, authorities apprehended two men and confiscated an astounding 94,000 packets of foreign cigarettes from a godown. These packets notably lacked the legal statutory health warnings and Maximum Retail Price (MRP), constituting a breach of the COTPA Act.

The operation identified the two suspects as Parikshit, aged 22, the godown owner residing in Vasant Kunj, and PP Chengappa, aged 40, who hails from Kodagu in Karnataka. According to officials, this bust is part of a larger campaign targeting illegal tobacco and liquor distribution, with a focus on making Delhi free from such contraband substances.

The seizure followed a tip-off received by the Operations Cell team, indicating the presence of a considerable cache of illicit tobacco products at a basement warehouse in Nangal Dewat, Vasant Kunj. Upon raiding the location, police discovered the following contraband: 13 cartons (13,000 packets) of L&B Original Silver, 5 cartons (5,000 packets) of King Size Mayfair, 50 cartons (50,000 packets) of Richmond King Size Real Blue, and 26 cartons (26,000 packets) of Richmond King Size. The suspects confessed to smuggling these cigarettes from countries like Greece and Dubai, with plans to distribute them across Delhi-NCR and South India.

A case has been promptly filed at the Vasant Kunj South Police Station under relevant sections of the COTPA Act. Both suspects are now in custody as the investigation broadens to unearth the network's roots. A senior police official reaffirmed the commitment to crack down on illegal tobacco and drug suppliers, emphasizing ongoing operations and surveillance to dismantle such threats to public health.

(With inputs from agencies.)