Man held for hawking e-cigarettes, contraband worth ₹21 lakh seized

HYDERABAD

The Commissioner’s Task Force (Central Zone) and the Saifabad Police on Wednesday busted an illegal electronic cigarette racket operating out of a residential flat in Adarsh Nagar, seizing 670 vapes worth nearly ₹21 lakh.

Acting on a tip-off, a joint team raided a flat opposite Grand Bazar in Saifabad and apprehended Akash Sinde, 28, who was found storing and selling banned e-cigarettes under the guise of working as a caretaker. 

The seized vapes include brands such as Elfbar, Elux, Raya D1, Nasty, and Shisha.

Sinde, originally from Mangalhat, had been employed by one Vishesh Agarwal on a monthly salary but soon began using the premises for illicit trade. 

The probe revealed that he sourced the contraband from Delhi through a network of agents and sold them in Hyderabad, targeting college students and teenagers.

“E-cigarettes are not only banned but also laced with harmful chemicals and nicotine, posing a serious health threat, especially to the youth,” a police officer from the task force said. The accused and the seized items have been handed over to the Saifabad Police for further legal action. 

Published - June 06, 2025 06:56 pm IST