Report: Manmeen Walia New Delhi,
A team of the Anti-Extortion & Kidnapping Cell, Crime Branch has seized a huge consignment of 3,215 packets of cigarettes containing 64,300 sticks valued at ₹12.5 lakh. The whole mission was being supervised by ACP Pankaj Arora. Two accused are arrested – Uvaish Siddiqui (22), resident of Muzaffarnagar, UP and Abdul Kalam (19), resident of Bawana, Delhi – for supplying illegal cigarettes without the statutory pictorial warnings.
The police seized a huge consignment of 3,215 packets of cigarettes containing 64,300 sticks valued at ₹12.5 lakh. The cigarettes, belonging to different brands, were being supplied illegally without mandatory health warnings, violating the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003. the health warning labels as mandated by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India. 2 scooters used in transportation were also seized.
The accused were illegally supplying cigarettes Both admitted to being involved in this illegal trade for the last two months.
On 15 Sep SI Ravi Rana received specific information from a secret informer about a consignment of cigarettes being supplied illegally without mandatory health warnings.
Based on the information, the team laid a trap in the area of Farash Khana and started keeping the surveillance over the movements of passersby’s further on the information of secret informer two persons riding of two separate Scooty were intercepted. One of them was carrying a cartoon tied on the rear seat of the scooty
The riders were identified as Uvaish Siddiqui (Age 22 yrs)and Abdul Kalam (Age 19 yrs). On questioning, hey failed to reply satisfactorily therefore, the cartoon was checked which was found stuffed with 100 rolls of Esse Lights cigarett containing 1000 packets without mandatory health warnings by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India.
During sustained interrogation, both accused led the police to a godown in Farash Khana where 2,215 more packets of cigarettes of various brands without bearing the specified/notified warning were recovered. A case under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003 was registered at PS Crime Branch, and both were arrested.
Profile of Accused Persons
1. Uvaish Siddiqui (22 years) – Resident of Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh. Studied up to Class 10, unmarried. Involved in supplying illegal cigarettes for the last two months.
2. Abdul Kalam (19 years) – Resident of Bawana, Delhi. Studied up to Class 12, unmarried. Involved in cigarette supply for the last two months.
Along with the cigarettes, police also seized the vehicles used in transportation
- One Scooty bearing registration number DL-5SCS-3415
- One Scooty bearing registration number DL-8SCV-0452
Sh. Sanjeev Kumar Yadav, IPS, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Crime Branch, Delhi, appreciated the swift action of the team and said that the recovery of such a large consignment of illegal cigarettes is a big step in curbing the circulation of harmful tobacco products without statutory warnings. He added that the Crime Branch remains committed to dismantling such rackets and ensuring strict enforcement of the law.
