Bengaluru: Malleswaram police arrested two persons for selling counterfeit cigarettes and seized around 80 bundles of them, worth approximately Rs 2.5lakh.An ITC representative filed a complaint on Nov 25, stating two persons were illegally selling fake cigarettes using the ITC brand on 10th Cross, Malleswaram and Sampige Road areas. The accused, identified as Imran (36), a resident of Cottonpet, and Rahees (40), from Marappanapalya and a native of Kannur in Kerala, were nabbed at the 10th Cross on the same day. During interrogation, both confessed that they procured counterfeit cigarettes from a supplier in Kasaragod, Kerala, for a lesser price and were selling them for MRP. A senior officer said around 35 bundles of fake Gold Flake Lights, 44 bundles of fake Gold Flake Kings, and a bundle of fake Mini Gold Flake cigarettes, totalling 80 bundles, were seized from the accused. The accused were released on station bail, and notices have been served to them to appear before the investigating officer. “We are probing to identify the supplier and the manufacturer,” the officer added.
