In a breakthrough under 'Mission 2027: Drug-Free Delhi', the South West District Police busted a large-scale illegal cigarette operation in the Nangal Dewat area of Vasant Kunj and arrested two key accused.
Acting on a tip-off, a team from the Operations Cell uncovered a concealed basement godown containing 94,000 packs of foreign cigarettes that lacked mandatory health warnings and Maximum Retail Price (MRP), violating the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA).
The arrested individuals were identified as Parikshit (22), the godown owner and a resident of Vasant Kunj, and P.P. Chengappa (40) from Karnataka. The two were allegedly involved in distributing illegal cigarette consignments from Greece and Dubai across Delhi-NCR and South India.
The haul included 50,000 packets of Richmond King Size Real Blue, 13,000 packets of L&amp;B Silver, 5,000 packets of Mayfair, and 26,000 Richmond King Size packs.
Police revealed Parikshit gained business knowledge from his father, who runs an import-export business near the airport, while Chengappa acted as the link between foreign suppliers and Delhi distributors.
A case under FIR No. 276/25 has been filed under Sections 7, 14, and 20(2) of the COTPA Act at Vasant Kunj South Police Station.
DCP Amit Goel confirmed further investigation is underway to dismantle the broader smuggling network.
[Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by the Benefit News editorial team and is published directly from the IANS news feed.]

Illegal Cigarette Racket Busted in Delhi’s Vasant Kunj

Delhi Police seize 94,000 foreign cigarette packs in major crackdown under 'Mission 2027'.

Illegal Cigarette Racket Busted in Delhi’s Vasant Kunj

Delhi Police seize 94,000 foreign cigarette packs in major crackdown under 'Mission 2027'.

June 29, 2025 | 18:47 IST