Bengaluru: Three persons have been arrested after the Central Crime Branch (CCB) and Upparpet police seized counterfeit cigarettes worth Rs 30 lakh during separate raids in Bengaluru.
The operations were carried out following information supplied by Anvesh IPR, representing ITC, about the alleged movement and distribution of fake cigarettes.
In the first case, CCB police acted against an attempt to smuggle counterfeit cigarettes to Kerala. The cigarettes had reportedly been packed into two trolley bags for transportation. Police arrested Mohammed Riyaz and Kumaran and recovered fake cigarettes valued at Rs 20 lakh.
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In the second case, Upparpet police arrested Mohammed Gulzar and seized counterfeit cigarettes worth Rs 10 lakh.
Police said the total value of the seized cigarettes in both cases was Rs 30 lakh. Legal action has been initiated against all three arrested persons, while further investigation is under way to trace the source of the counterfeit products and establish the extent of the supply network.
The seizures form part of efforts to curb the circulation of counterfeit tobacco products in the city.
