Report : Manmeen Walia, New Delhi

The Crime Branch of Delhi Police, Eastern Range–I, has successfully busted a syndicate involved in the supply and distribution of counterfeit and illegal cigarettes in the city.

Acting on a secret tip-off, a team led by SI Jitender, under the supervision of Inspector Lichhman and guidance of ACP Sunil Shrivastav (ER-I), conducted a raid at Nilothi Extension, Delhi.
The operation resulted in the arrest of four people and the recovery of 2,40,000 fake and contraband cigarettes from two vehicles.

During the raid, two accused — Pawan Gupta and Pawan Yadav — were caught with a tempo loaded with 14 cartons of fake ITC Gold Flake cigarettes, totalling 1.6 lakh sticks. These were confirmed to be counterfeit by Mr. Samir Shaw, Deputy Manager, Anvesh IPR Services, an authorized representative of ITC Limited.

Based on their information, two more accused — Parveen Singh and Puneet Gupta — were arrested from Chander Vihar Chowk, where an Ecco vehicle carrying 8 cartons (80,000 cigarettes) of ESSE Lights was seized. These cigarettes did not have statutory health warnings and were confirmed to be illegal.

A FIR was registered at the Police Station Crime Branch, Delhi.

Accused Persons

1. Parveen Singh (32 yrs) – Resident of Tri Nagar, Delhi; key local distributor handling large consignments.
2. Puneet Gupta (35 yrs) – Resident of Uttam Nagar, Delhi; coordinated deliveries and local distribution.
3. Pawan Gupta (29 yrs) – Resident of Nilothi Extension, Delhi; involved in illegal trade and distribution.
4. Dilip Yadav (21 yrs) – From Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh; acted as a runner and helped in local deliveries.

Seized Items

• 14 cartons of ITC Gold Flake (1,60,000 cigarettes)
• 8 cartons of ESSE Lights (80,000 cigarettes)

Modus Operandi

The accused used to receive large consignments of counterfeit cigarettes at Nilothi and nearby areas. They would split the stock into smaller packets and sell them through street vendors and small traders near metro stations and busy markets to avoid police detection and earn illegal profits.

The operation was carried out by a dedicated team under the  guidance of ACP Sunil Shrivastav (ER-I).

The remarkable efforts of the Delhi Police Crime Branch, under the leadership of DCP Vikram Singh,deserve high appreciation for their dedication and swift action in dismantling the counterfeit cigarette syndicate. Their vigilance, teamwork, and professionalism reflect the strong commitment of the Delhi Police to protect public health and curb illegal trade activities in the city.