New Delhi: Delhi Police busted a gang involved in the illicit trade of international cigarette brands. As part of the operation, four people were taken into custody, and 6.5 lakh cigarette sticks, valued at approximately Rs 66 lakh, were seized from their possession.
The accused were identified as Anas, Saqib, Sameer Ur Rehman and Sagar Haswani.
Police said they received information about the arrival of two huge stocks of prohibited cigarettes from Guwahati to Farash Khana in Delhi. A raid was conducted at a godown in Lahori Gate, and 4.7 lakh cigarette sticks of an international brand and 80,000 of another were recovered. Cops raided another place, and more than 1 lakh cigarettes were recovered. Four men were nabbed from the spot.
Deputy commissioner of police (crime) Sanjay Sain said the interrogation of Saqib, Anas and Sameer revealed that their partner, Haswani, a resident of Rohini, was the one who procured the prohibited cigarettes from Guwahati at cheap rates. These cigarettes were then stored on the premises and later split into smaller quantities, which were sold at small cigarette and pan shops at a handsome profit, resulting in substantial gains.
Haswani was subsequently apprehended in Rohini on Dec 13. During interrogation, he disclosed that international brands without statutory warnings were popular among youth and teenagers. Therefore, he would obtain prohibited cigarettes of international brands from Paltan Bazar, Guwahati. He would then split the stock and transport it to Farash Khana, where it would be further divided into smaller quantities. MSID:: 116340120 413 |
