Police in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, have busted a counterfeit cigarette manufacturing and distribution racket and arrested two men, officials said on Saturday, November 14.

Source: IANS via The Freedom Press

A team from Phase-2 Police Station in Gautam Buddh Nagar, assisted by local intelligence and beat policing units, raided a spot near Pusta Road in Kakrala and arrested the two suspects, according to police.

The arrested men have been identified as Sandeep, son of Dharamveer Singh, and Sandeep alias Sanjeev alias Sunny, son of Mahavir Singh. Police said both are residents of Bulandshahr district.

What police say was seized

Investigators said they recovered 4,940 empty cigarette packs of different brands in total — including 3,500 empty Gold Flake packs and 1,440 empty Capstan packs — along with 128 Gold Flake cigarettes, 57 Capstan cigarettes, 700 grams of loose tobacco, three packing machines and a car allegedly used to distribute the counterfeit stock.

Source: Nation Press

Police allege the accused used the packing machines to refill empty branded packs with loose tobacco and pass them off as genuine products to retailers. The allegations have not been tested in court.

Case registered

Phase-2 police have registered an FIR under Sections 318(4) and 349 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 104 of the Trade Marks Act, officials said.

According to investigators, the second accused, Sandeep alias Sanjeev, already has three criminal cases registered against him at Pahasu police station in Bulandshahr district. Police said further investigation is under way to trace the wider network behind the racket.