According to official sources, the confiscated goods included 14 brands of tobacco. Shops, warehouses and distribution stores involved have been booked for violations relating to selling fake brands and smuggled goods, and breaking economic and legal regulations.

The sources said the confiscated goods posed great danger to human health including respiratory ailments risks as most of the goods contained poisonous substances. They warned that the seizure of such large quantities of fake products was alarming and shows that local market had been penetrated through organised operations despite tight control on local markets by the authorities. The goods were confiscated in round-the-clock inspection raids carried out as part of a large-scale drive stepped up by the municipality's newly-established Public Health and Environment Department to ensure public health and consumer safety.

The drive also covers raids on shops violating a recent civic order banning the sale of tobacco products to children under 18. Last month, the municipality closed down around 20 groceries, cafeterias and restaurants in the capital and its suburbs for violating the rule following close monitoring of shops to ensure all outlets complied with the new rule. According to the decision issued in August last year, any shop, supermarket, grocery or commercial outlet caught selling any form of tobacco to anyone under the age of 18 will be permanently shut down and fined by the government with no prior warning.

Another alarming situation is the smuggling of tobacco products used in shisha or hubble-bubble and paan. Sold at relatively low prices, large quantities of tobacco and paan are smuggled into the country from neighbouring countries.