Three Held With Counterfeit Gold Flake Cigarettes Worth ₹1.5 Lakh In Ahmedabad
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The Ahmedabad Crime Branch has arrested three men for allegedly possessing and attempting to sell counterfeit cigarettes bearing the “Gold Flake” brand in Juhapura, recovering 12,000 cigarette sticks valued at ₹1.5 lakh, police said.
The accused have been identified as Ilyas Musabhai Modan, 46, a resident of Juhapura; Asif Mustafabhai Syed, 32, from Sihor in Bhavnagar district; and Javid Ahmedbhai Deraiya, 33, from Kobli village in Bhavnagar district.
Police have also booked the alleged supplier, Shailesh Gordhanbhai Patel of Thakkarnagar, who was not found at his residence.
Crime Branch Tracks Alleged Sale Of Fake Cigarettes
The case came to light after Prince Jogendra Singh, 25, an assistant manager with Avanesh I.P.R. Services, which is authorised to act against the manufacture and sale of counterfeit products for its client ITC Ltd, gathered information about the alleged sale of fake Gold Flake Premium cigarettes in Ahmedabad.
Singh and his colleague Titu Devdat Sharma, a deputy manager with the firm, allegedly learnt that Modan and his associates were involved in selling counterfeit cigarettes.
They subsequently contacted the suspects and arranged a meeting in front of Moti Bakery in Juhapura on the night of September 16.
The Crime Branch team, accompanied by the two representatives and panch witnesses, allegedly kept watch near the location.
12,000 Cigarettes Seized From Autorickshaw
According to the complaint, an autorickshaw arrived at the spot after some time and three men got out. A carton was allegedly found on the rear seat of the vehicle.
The three men identified themselves as Modan, Syed and Deraiya, police said.
The carton was opened in the presence of the witnesses and company representatives. It allegedly contained cigarette packets bearing Gold Flake branding.
The complainant claimed that the packaging, manufacturing details and logo differed from those of the company’s genuine products.
The seized carton contained 24 large packets, each carrying 50 smaller packets, with each small packet containing 10 cigarettes, according to the complaint. This amounted to 12,000 cigarette sticks, which police valued at ₹1.5 lakh.
Two mobile phones and the autorickshaw were also seized during the operation. The total value of the cigarette carton and two mobile phones was estimated at ₹1.70 lakh.
Alleged Supplier Booked
During questioning, the accused allegedly told police that the counterfeit cigarette carton had been obtained from Thakkarnagar after they contacted Shailesh Gordhanbhai Patel.
Police have booked Patel as the alleged supplier and are investigating his role in the case.
The Crime Branch has registered a case under relevant sections of the Copyright Act, 1957. Investigators are now probing the source of the allegedly counterfeit cigarettes, the extent of their distribution network and whether the accused supplied the products to other parts of Ahmedabad.
