Noida Police capture 6 individuals in possession of 10 tonnes of fake tobacco

The Noida Police on Tuesday claimed to have arrested six alleged inter-state traffickers after seizing 10 tonnes of counterfeit tobacco allegedly being transported in a truck and concealed under sacks of potatoes.The police said it seized 138 sacks of counterfeit tobacco, valued at Rs 2 crore, which was meant to be illegally sold in states that have banned tobacco.The seizure and arrests were made on Monday in a joint action by the Crime Response Team and officials of the Sector 126 police station.

The Noida Police on Tuesday claimed to have arrested six alleged inter-state traffickers after seizing 10 tonnes of counterfeit tobacco allegedly being transported in a truck and concealed under sacks of potatoes.

The police said it seized 138 sacks of counterfeit tobacco, valued at Rs 2 crore, which was meant to be illegally sold in states that have banned tobacco.

''The seizure and arrests were made on Monday in a joint action by the Crime Response Team and officials of the Sector 126 police station. A total of six people were arrested, who were smuggling the fake tobacco to states and regions that have banned tobacco,'' the police said in a statement.

''One truck laden with 138 sacks of fake tobacco, which was covered with 16 sacks of potatoes, was intercepted and the items seized,'' it said.

A car used by the accused was also impounded and Rs 61,560 in cash was seized from their possession, the police said.

Those held have been identified as Manoj Saroj, Ramesh Bhatti and his associates, Syed Zabi Ullah, Param, Shivam Jaiswal and Zakir Hussain, the police said.

''During brief interrogation, the accused told police that they bought fake tobacco from a person in Delhi and sold it in those states where the sale of tobacco is banned. In this way, tobacco is sold at almost three times the price, according to which the price of about 10 tonnes of tobacco recovered is around Rs 2 crore,'' the police said.

The accused were also found copying the packaging of a tobacco brand and going to sell the counterfeit item in its name, the police added.

An FIR has been lodged in the case under the relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code while charges under the Copyright Act and the Trademark Act have also been invoked against the accused, the police said.

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