BD Global Desk:
A mobile court discovered a counterfeit cigarette factory set up in a rented cattle farm in Daulatpur, Kushtia. During a raid in Garbaria village on Wednesday, officials seized fake cigarettes and raw materials worth about Tk2 crore 4 lakh 14 thousand.
The operation was conducted from 11am to 1pm under the leadership of Daulatpur assistant commissioner (land) and executive magistrate Pradip Kumar Das. Acting on a tip-off, officials raided a cattle farm in Garbaria village, but no one was found at the factory.
Preliminary inquiries found that Shakil Ahmed, son of Aziruddin Sarkar of Joyrampur village, and Lokman Hossain Leon, son of Insar Ali of Baidyanath Tala village, had rented the farm and were producing counterfeit cigarettes.
The raid seized a total of 25 lakh 50 thousand counterfeit cigarettes and a large quantity of raw materials. These included 12 lakh ‘Derby’ cigarettes worth Tk96 lakh; 11 lakh 50 thousand ‘Royals’ and ‘Royal Next’ cigarettes worth Tk86 lakh 25 thousand; 2 lakh ‘Navy’ cigarettes worth Tk20 lakh; and 30 sacks, or 2,100 kilograms, of unprocessed rotten tobacco worth Tk1 lakh 89 thousand. The total estimated market value was Tk2 crore 4 lakh 14 thousand.
Assistant commissioner (land) and executive magistrate Pradip Kumar Das said the raid, based on a tip-off, recovered a large quantity of counterfeit cigarettes and low-quality tobacco. The people involved fled after sensing the police presence. All materials were seized to stop the illegal activity, which is harmful to public health.
He said instructions had been given to file a regular case at the relevant police station against Shakil Ahmed and Lokman Hossain Leon. Such drives will continue in the public interest.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report