Over 66,000 imported cigarettes seized, two arrested

Delhi Police has apprehended two men for allegedly supplying smuggled cigarettes without the mandatory pictorial health warning labels in markets here, an official said on Sunday (October 26, 2025).

Police have recovered a total of 66,400 cigarettes of international brands, valued at around ₹12 lakh, from the accused.

"They have been identified as Parveen Sehgal (37), a resident of Panipat, and Mukesh Khatreja (48), a resident of Delhi. On October 25, a team received information that a huge consignment of prohibited cigarettes was to be delivered near the Palam flyover in the Prahladpur area," the officer said.

He said a trap was laid and both the accused were apprehended with four bags containing 332 "dandas" (each comprising 10 packets) of smuggled cigarettes. The packets did not carry the statutory health warnings mandated under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), rendering them illegal for sale or distribution in India.

During questioning, it was found that the duo was involved in smuggling cigarettes from Cambodia and supplying them to local markets in Delhi and nearby areas. Further investigation into the matter is underway.