LUCKNOW, April 5 -- Police here on Friday busted an interstate racket dealing in counterfeit cigarettes and arrested two persons, seizing a consignment worth around Rs.10 lakh. The network allegedly operated through a phone-based supply chain sourcing stock from Delhi and Madhya Pradesh and distributing it across multiple states, police said.

Kiran Yadav, additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP) (crime), said the accused avoided fixed shops or warehouses. Instead, they took orders over phone calls and delivered consignments at pre-decided locations to evade detection.

Investigators said the network allegedly procured fake cigarettes from suppliers in Delhi and Madhya Pradesh and smuggled them into Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and other s...