CHENNAI: The police on Monday arrested 17 people who were allegedly supplying duplicate cigarettes with foreign branding in their shop in the suburbs and seized 720 packets of cigarettes from them.
The Tambaram police received information that foreign cigarettes were being sold in many shops in their jurisdiction, including on OMR, Tambaram, Guduvanchery, and Maraimalai Nagar. The tipoff said school and college students were being targeted, as most of the shops are close to educational institutions.
Soon, the police formed a special team and went for a surprise search at the shops on OMR and also the suburbs. The team searched 37 shops and seized 720 packets of cigarettes with foreign brandings. The officials later found out that all the cigarettes were fake and arrested the 17 shopkeepers, who were remanded in judicial custody.
Police said the students cigarettes with foreign branding lured youngsters into buying them, and added that smoking, especially at such young age, would have a serious impact on their health. Officials urged students to shun the habit considering their own wellbeing.
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