In a major crackdown on the illicit cigarette trade, the Delhi Police’s Operations Cell in South West District has busted a godown storing banned foreign tobacco products and arrested two individuals involved in its distribution, an official statement said.
During the raid, police seized a staggering 94,000 packets of foreign cigarettes, all lacking mandatory health warnings and MRP markings in violation of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA).
The arrested individuals have been identified as Parikshit (22), the godown owner and resident of Vasant Kunj, and PP Chengappa (40), a resident of Kodagu district in Karnataka, the release added.
Acting on specific intelligence, the police team raided a basement godown in a house located in Nangal Dewat, Vasant Kunj on June 27. This operation is part of an ongoing campaign across the South-West District aimed at cracking down on the illegal supply of liquor and tobacco products in Delhi.
According to police, the seized cigarettes were being distributed across Delhi-NCR and parts of South India. During interrogation, the accused confessed to importing the products from foreign countries, including Greece and Dubai.
The haul included:
- 13,000 packets of L&B Original Silver (13 cartons)
- 5,000 packets of King Size Mayfair (5 cartons)
- 50,000 packets of Richmond King Size Real Blue (50 cartons)
- 26,000 packets of Richmond King Size (26 cartons)
None of these cigarette packets complied with the COTPA provisions, which mandate graphic health warnings and MRP printed on the packaging.
A case has been registered at the Vasant Kunj South Police Station under FIR No. 276/25, invoking Sections 7, 14, and 20(2) of the COTPA Act. Both accused are currently in police custody.
The Delhi Police emphasized their commitment to a tobacco- and drug-free environment in the national capital and confirmed that further investigations are underway to uncover the larger network behind this illicit trade.