Mumbai, Nov 6 (IANS): The Maharashtra Legal Metrology Department on Sunday said it has registered 33 new cases against retailers for selling imported cigarettes without mandatory declarations like maximum retail price (MRP) and health warnings.

The cases were registered during a special drive after the Legal Metrology Organisation received various complaints about imported cigarette packets.

"This drive will be carried further to ensure the protection of consumer's interest," Amitabh Gupta, Inspector General and Controller of Maharashtra Legal Metrology, told IANS.

The cases have been registered a day before India would host CoP 7 WHO FCTC conference, the world's biggest tobacco control convention. India is hosting the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) CoP7 from November 7 to 12.

Tobacco farmers have written to the Health Ministry and World Health Organization (WHO) to let them participate in the convention so that the illegal trade of smuggled cigarette in India can be discussed and stopped.