KOCHI: The Aluva East Police on Saturday seized 20 bundles of beedis worth Rs 6 lakh and arrested one person in connection with the incident. According to the officers, Najeeb, 35, of Edayappuram in Aluva, who came to take delivery of the parcel was arrested by the police. Receiving a tip-off that fake West Bengal-based beedi was arriving at Aluva on trademark violation, the police recovered a parcel that reached the Aluva Railway station. During the examination, it was found that five out of the 20 bundles
were imitations of the beedi brand ‘Ajith’.
Officers said the arrested claimed he was only a driver and had no knowledge about the deal. The police had received a petition from the company that imitations of their brand were in circulation. It was on Saturday morning they received a tip-off that such a consignment was arriving by train.The police have registered a case invoking IPC sections 420, 465, and 468 besides Section 103 of the Trade Mark Act. Each bundle consisted of 20 packets of 12 beedis each.
Though only five bundles were found to be fake in the initial examination, the police have seized the entire consignment for further scrutiny. Meanwhile, the sleuths have collected the details of the Bengal resident who sent the consignment and an investigation is underway to track him.