Korean tobacco major KT&G has initiated legal proceedings in the Delhi High Court against 14 entities accused of operating an organised network dealing in counterfeit ESSE cigarettes across the Delhi NCR region, as part of a stepped-up enforcement drive to curb illicit tobacco trade in India.
The lawsuit follows a series of court-mandated raids carried out simultaneously at multiple wholesale locations in Delhi NCR. Acting on the court’s directions, enforcement authorities, supported by KT&G and its legal counsel SS Rana & Co, seized large quantities of cigarette products bearing the ESSE trademark. Preliminary examinations indicated that the seized stock was unauthorised and illegally distributed, the company said in a statement.
According to KT&G, the action is aimed at dismantling parallel supply chains that feed counterfeit tobacco products into the market. Such products often evade regulatory oversight, bypass mandatory pictorial health warnings and are manufactured using unregulated raw materials, posing heightened health risks to consumers.
The company said the Delhi NCR operation is part of a wider national strategy to protect brand integrity, ensure consumer safety and uphold compliance within the legal tobacco market. KT&G has indicated that similar enforcement actions are being planned in other major consumption centres, including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad, signalling a broader crackdown on counterfeit cigarette networks.
Young-Hun Kim, director of the intellectual property division at KT&G headquarters, said the company would pursue both civil and criminal remedies against parties involved at every level of the illegal trade, including manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers and retailers. He added that safeguarding consumers’ access to genuine products remains a priority for the company in India.
Legal experts involved in the case noted that the growth of illicit and counterfeit cigarettes has emerged as a significant challenge for the tobacco industry and regulators alike. Vikrant Rana, managing partner at SS Rana & Co, said illegal tobacco trade not only undermines public health safeguards but also erodes government tax revenues and distorts fair competition within the market.
KT&G said it would continue working closely with enforcement agencies to address the issue and strengthen compliance across the supply chain.
