Delhi Crime Branch Seizes 64,300 Illegal Cigarettes, Arrests Two in Farash Khana Raid

Overview

• Acting on a tip-off, a Crime Branch team laid a trap in Farash Khana on Monday and intercepted two scooters, recovering a carton with 1,000 packets.
• The suspects led police to a nearby godown where 2,215 more packets were found, taking the total to 3,215 packets (64,300 sticks) worth about Rs 12.5 lakh.
• The accused, Uvaish Siddiqui, 22, and Abdul Kalam, 19, were arrested under COTPA provisions, and their scooters were seized.
• Seized brands included Esse Lights, Gudang Garam, Benson & Hedges, Mond and Davidoff Classic, all missing statutory health warnings.
• Police said the men had supplied such cigarettes for roughly two months, with an ongoing probe to identify the wider network and source of consignments.