Racket smuggling imported cigarettes busted in Delhi
Darpan News Desk IANS, 27 Jun, 2022 04:19 PM
New Delhi, June 27 (IANS) Three people were arrested for being involved in a racket smuggling imported cigarettes, an official said on Monday. The three accused, identified as Md Danish (39), Shoaib Riyaz (27) and Rajesh Kumar (50) were illegally bringing the imported cigarettes to India from Cambodia.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (central district), Shweta Chauhan, said information was received on June 26 that some persons involved in the smuggling of imported cigarettes are present in the IP Estate police station area having possession of cartons of smuggled cigarettes.
Acting on the tip-off, the team of Special Staff conducted a raid and apprehended the three accused.
During sustained interrogation, the accused persons revealed that they smuggled cigarettes via Cambodia. Earlier, they used to smuggle cigarettes via Dubai but due to heavy restrictions on the route, they changed the route to via Cambodia to bring cigarettes to India.
A total of 16,190 packets of illegal cigarettes and 570 packets of imported cigars worth Rs. 30 lakh were recovered from their possession.
Further investigation is being made to ascertain the magnitude of the offence and identification of other accused persons involved in the racket, the official added.
Earlier, Dhesi sent a letter, signed by over 100 British MPs and Lords, to Prime Minister Boris Johnson on the ongoing farmers' protests, asking him to raise this matter with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi when they next liaise.
The Chief Minister told the media here that for more than a year since the Central government had brought three agriculture laws for the benefit of farmers, especially small and marginal ones, unfortunately, some farmer unions had been protesting on the Delhi borders.
While the Centre's announcement to repeal three farm laws is seen as a political decision with eye on forthcoming assembly polls in five states, the BJP claims that it has nothing to do with elections as the party has won many states after laws were passed by the Parliament.
On January 12 this year, the Supreme Court had stayed the implementation of the three farm laws after scores of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh pitched their tents on various Delhi borders in protest against the three laws.
A nine-member committee of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), the consortium of protesting farmers' bodies, will be meeting on Saturday, and it is likely to put forth four main demands. The meeting will also decide whether the SKM will go ahead with the originally announced 'March Towards Delhi' programme on November 26.
Congress legislator and Punjab unit party president Navjot Singh Sidhu on Friday said the minimum support price (MSP) is the bigger issue than farm laws as it is the lifeline of farmers.
