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.
The farmers have been on agitation since August 20 by blocking the Delhi-Amritsar national highway near Jalandhar, along with the rail tracks, over their demand for raising the SAP of sugarcane. They have already rejected the hike of Rs 15 per quintal announced by the government last week.
Indian defence forces have employed the best equipment available in the country to locate the wreckage, which includes remotely operated underwater vehicles, handheld navigation system with sonar, side scanner sonar with echo sensor and portable transducer, divers propulsion vehicle, multi-beam sonar and submarine rescue unit of the India Navy, an official statement said.
The convicts are Shaik Showkath, 35, Mohd Khalid, 22, Mohd Afroz, 20, Abdul Salman Khan, 20, Shaik Salman, 22, and Mujahid Khan, 20. They are all residents of New Hafeezpet, Serilingampally Mandal, Ranga Reddy district.
A Northern Railway spokesperson said that due to farmers agitation in Ferozpur division of Punjab, it has cancelled 68 train including two Vande Bharat and Rajdhani each, four Shatabdi Express, one Duranto, and two Janshatabdi Express trains.
According to police, the robbers, coming out of the Amruth Gold and Silver shop after the crime, saw Chandru approach and opened fire at him, fearing he may try to apprehend them or alert the public. One of the bullets hit Chandru on the head and he died on the spot.
The Vigilance Bureau arrested Saini, who retired in June 2018, for cheating, forgery and other offences under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act on Wednesday.
