Police said they had launched a manhunt for the main accused, a native of Andhra Pradesh, who had set up the unit. Based on a specific information, the police team arrived at the farm. A police officer told HT that the farmhouse was located in an isolated area on the banks of the river flowing from Sangvi village of Karjat. The unit was secured by walls and a huge entrance gate. Initially, officers asked the owners to open the premises, but received no response. “After facing difficulty in entering the unit, we scaled the compound wall and gained access from the rear of the farm,” said Inspector Balasaheb Khade of the local crime branch .

A thorough inspection was conducted at the unit where a total of 15 workers were working on the production of counterfeit Gold Flake cigarettes. In addition to the heavy machinery, the police also discovered a huge quantity of raw materials required to manufacture the product. This also included a large quantity of tobacco.

“The unit was stocked with goods needed for the production of cigarette packaging materials, tobacco, etc. Large-scale cigarette production was carried out using a semi-automatic machine. The products were then packed in boxes that resembled the popular brand and sold in markets,” said an official.

Cigarettes are worth ₹2.31 crores ready for sale were seized. The materials needed for production were worth ₹15.86 lakh and value of machines ₹2.47 crores were confiscated. In total, goods worth ₹4.94 crores were seized from the unit. The 15 accused hailing from different states were also arrested and a case was registered with the Karjat police.

Police observed that the group operated their business very tactfully. Instead of running the machines directly on electricity, they ran using generators. “As there were no valid permits or documents to carry out their business, they knew that using heavy machinery powered by electricity would attract the attention of the authorities and so they used generators to operate the machines,” police said.

“The main accused behind this case is believed to be from Andhra Pradesh and his investigation is on. We also look for the owner of the farm, how the raw materials were purchased and distributed, etc. The defendants were placed in police custody for two days. said Raigad Police Commissioner Somnath Gharge.