Banned imported cigarettes worth Rs 40 lakh seized in north Delhi, one held

New Delhi, Feb 26 (PTI) A 51-year-old man was apprehended with illegal imported cigarettes worth around Rs 40 lakh in north Delhi's Kashmere Gate area, an official said on Thursday.

The accused, identified as Sanjay Aggarwal, a resident of Ambala in Haryana, was intercepted by a team following a tip-off, he said.

According to the police, information was received on February 6 that a man was carrying a large quantity of contraband imported cigarettes in a tempo parked in Khoya Mandi area near Kashmere Gate.

Acting on the input, a team conducted a raid at the spot and apprehended the accused. During a search of the vehicle, police recovered 10 plastic bags containing 30 cartons with a total of three lakh sticks of imported cigarettes.

"The cigarettes are prohibited in India as they do not carry the mandatory health warning on the packaging as prescribed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. A case was registered at Kashmere Gate police station and further investigation was taken up," the officer added.

During interrogation, Aggarwal told police that he had been involved in the unauthorised sale and distribution of such imported cigarettes for the past six years. He used to procure the stock from the Patparganj Industrial Area in Delhi and supply it to different parts of Haryana and Punjab due to the high demand.

"On the day of his apprehension, he had allegedly purchased the consignment in the morning and hired a tempo up to Mori Gate. However, due to no entry restrictions, he got stranded at Khoya Mandi and was waiting for the restrictions to be lifted so that he could transport the goods out of Delhi, when he was caught," police said. PTI BM BM ARB ARB