If you are accustomed to smoking cigarettes, this development serves as a serious cautionary tale. An illegal factory engaged in manufacturing counterfeit cigarettes of major brands has been uncovered in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. Police busted this unauthorized cigarette manufacturing unit at a building near an old government school in the Dudhli Khadar area under the Hastinapur assembly constituency. During the raid, police recovered ready-made duplicate cigarettes valued at approximately Rs 1.5 crore, along with raw materials and cigarette-making machinery of equivalent value. This illicit facility was producing various brands of fake cigarettes under the name of ITC, the country's leading cigarette manufacturer. According to the Superintendent of Police (Rural), factory operator Ravi Kishore and his associates have been taken into custody, with the primary accused hailing from Delhi.
Raid Conducted Following Company Intelligence
The raid was executed by the police based on specific information provided by Reshu Mishra, the manager of the ITC cigarette company. The company's team informed law enforcement that counterfeit cigarettes were being produced on a massive scale in the Khadar region, located about 8 kilometers away from Hastinapur. Acting on this intelligence, police conducted a raid and apprehended four employees working inside the factory premises. Police interrogation revealed that a significantly higher number of workers operated here during the daytime compared to night hours. Authorities are now investigating the roles of other individuals connected to the operation of this factory.
Counterfeits of These Major Brands Being Produced
Inside the facility, cigarettes were being manufactured under prominent brand names such as Gold Flake, Classic, Wills Navy Cut, India Kings, Insignia, Sassers, Players, and Bristol. Investigations revealed that the raw materials for cigarette production were imported from Cambodia, while tobacco was sourced from Rajasthan. The finished counterfeit cigarettes were being supplied not only across Uttar Pradesh but also to Haryana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Delhi.
Operation Running Secretly for Six Months
Police questioning also brought to light that Ravi Kishore, a resident of Delhi, had been operating this factory near the old school building in Dudhli Khadar for approximately the last six months. It is astonishing that despite large-scale production and distribution of counterfeit cigarettes from a building located near a government cattle shed, local law enforcement had no inkling of the operation. It was only after the cigarette manufacturing company lodged a complaint and the police raided the site that the full scale of the operation came to light. The machinery and raw materials recovered during the search point to large-scale production capacity at the facility.
Police Investigating the Broader Syndicate
Police have valued the seized goods in crores of rupees. Authorities have initiated a probe into who else is linked to the network running this factory, supplying raw materials, and distributing the finished products. Information is also being gathered to trace how far the tentacles of this syndicate reach. Presently, Ravi Kishore remains in police custody and is being questioned extensively.
