PESHAWAR: In a latest operation carried out by the Customs Intelligence and Investigation (I&I), nine million counterfeit cigarettes were seized from the Chugalpura area near Ring Road Bridge Peshawar on Tuesday.
Inspector Abdur Rehman said that Custom officials were receiving various tip-offs about the production of illegal cigarettes of multinational brands at somewhere in Peshawar region.
Following a tip-off, Intelligence and Investigation wing started finding the proofs. Officials of the Intelligence Directorate, after verifying the credibility of the information that fake production units are present in the area, conducted a raid on the production facility and took into possession the nine large cartons of multinational and local brands of cigarettes being manufactured in the area.
Some of the counterfeit cigarette-brands seized from the storage of the production unit include popular brands such as Gold Leaf, Red & White, Morven, Capstan, Gold Flake and Pine.
The seizure report has been forwarded to the Directorate General of Customs Intelligence and Investigation while further investigation to seize fake cigarette manufacturers has been initiated.
Counterfeit cigarettes are a great menace to the nation as their production not only damages the economy of the country but also gravely harms the public health due to usage of substandard materials in production of such brands.
