Massive Counterfeit Cigarette Racket Busted in Meerut: International Machinery Worth Rs 5 Crore Seized
Law enforcement authorities in Uttar Pradesh have cracked down on one of the most sophisticated counterfeit manufacturing rings in recent years, raiding an illegal cigarette factory operating out of a closed college building in Hastinapur, Meerut. Equipped with imported machinery valued at ₹5 crore, the illicit operation was pumping out fake cigarettes mimicking the country’s largest tobacco manufacturer, ITC, causing massive revenue losses to the corporate giant and flooding local markets with cheap, unverified products. Joint raids conducted by police and company representatives led to the immediate seizure of equipment, raw materials, and finished goods worth crores, exposing a sprawling illegal enterprise run by an inter-state syndicate.
Inside the Operation: Rs 10 Crore Setup Using Cambodian Filters and Rajasthani Tobacco
The scale of the illicit factory, located near Dudhli Khadar village in Hastinapur, stunned investigators. According to police disclosures, mastermind Ravi Kumar—a businessman hailing from Mayur Vihar, Delhi—began setting up the operation in December after leasing a defunct degree college building from local owner Sundarpal for ₹1 lakh per month under the false pretext of running a dairy business. The syndicate spared no expense, importing specialized cigarette-making machinery worth ₹5 crore from abroad, alongside cigarette paper and filters sourced directly from Cambodia, while procuring high-grade tobacco from Rajasthan. With a total capital investment touching ₹10 crore, the facility was reportedly producing and dispatching counterfeit cigarettes worth ₹50 lakh into the commercial market every single day.
How ITC Tracked Down the Ring: Sudden Dip in Sales Exposes the Multi-Crore Scam
The underground operation came to light only after the legitimate manufacturer noticed an unusual and sharp slump in official market sales. Counterfeiters had aggressively penetrated retail networks by selling fake packs priced at ₹300 for a meager ₹100, tempting local shopkeepers with high profit margins. Growing suspicious of widespread market substitution, company investigators tracked a suspicious vehicle carrying illicit stock toward Delhi. Following a thorough recce of the Hastinapur area, corporate representatives alerted local law enforcement, exposing the industrial-scale manufacturing unit hidden away in rural Meerut.
Arrests Made, Multi-Crore Seizures, and Manhunt Underway for Co-Conspirators
Police forces arrested factory manager Ravi Kishore, a resident of Nehru Nagar, South Delhi, directly at the scene and subsequently remanded him to judicial custody. Raids conducted during the operation resulted in the recovery of finished counterfeit cigarettes valued at ₹1.5 crore, raw materials worth ₹2 crore, and the massive ₹5 crore manufacturing setup. Meanwhile, authorities are actively pursuing key absconding suspects, including co-conspirators Tarun and Deepak, along with prime accused Ravi Kumar, whose Delhi residence has been placed under police surveillance. Investigators are also questioning building owner Sundarpal to determine whether he had prior knowledge of the illegal manufacturing activities operating beneath the guise of a rented dairy.
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