Over 2.82 lakh banned imported cigarettes worth Rs 1 crore seized in Delhi; four held

Four people have been arrested after Delhi Police seized over 2.82 lakh prohibited imported cigarettes worth more than Rs 1 crore from northeast Delhi in a major crackdown on the illegal tobacco trade, an officer said on Thursday.

The seizure was made in two phases, with police recovering consignments from Karawal Nagar and later a warehouse in the Budhpur Industrial Area during follow-up raids, he said.

Police said the operation began on August 4 after a team received a tip-off about the delivery of prohibited imported cigarettes in the Karawal Nagar area.

Acting on the information, a police team laid a trap in Shiv Vihar. At around 4.30 pm, three men arrived on a motorcycle carrying gunny bags and waited for a customer. When no one turned up and they attempted to leave, the police intercepted and apprehended them.

“The accused were identified as Ankit (35), Vishal (28) and Rahul (36), all residents of the Karawal Nagar area. During the search, police recovered 79 cartons containing 12,640 imported cigarettes, manufactured in Indonesia,” a senior police officer said.

The officer further said the cigarette packets did not carry the mandatory statutory health warnings required under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), making them prohibited for sale in India.

A motorcycle allegedly used for transporting the contraband was also seized.

“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,” the officer said.

Police said a subsequent raid at a premises in Budhpur Industrial Area led to the recovery of around 2.70 lakh more prohibited imported cigarettes of different brands.

“With the latest seizure, the total recovery in the case reached 2,82,640 prohibited imported cigarettes valued at more than Rs 1 crore,” the officer said.

Police said Rahul was previously involved in one case of theft and snatching, while the other three accused had no previous criminal record. Further investigation is underway to identify the source of procurement, examine financial transactions and trace the wider supply network involved in the illegal trade of prohibited imported cigarettes.