Cigarette Racket Busted: Unbranded Cigarettes Worth Crores Seized in Andhra Pradesh

• Authorities in Andhra Pradesh uncovered a cigarette mafia operating under unbranded names, seizing large quantities of illegal cigarettes.
• In Kakinada district and Tenali, cigarettes like GTPL Vimal, Vimal Gold, Gold Fest, and Midland were illegally brought from other states.
• Vigilance and Enforcement officials in Turangi, Kakinada district, seized 3,73,200 unbranded cigarette packets (311 boxes) valued at Rs. 1.75 crores.
• Accused Apparao rented a room in Turangi to store counterfeit cigarettes sourced from Odisha and Patna, Bihar, supplying them to pan shops without bills.
• Police are investigating the masterminds behind this racket, the manufacturing locations, and the transportation methods, suspecting a multi-crore business across Telugu states.

Why It Matters: Andhra Pradesh authorities busted a massive unbranded cigarette racket, seizing crores worth of illegal products.