Hyderabad: A major crackdown on the city’s illegal e-cigarette trade saw police swooping down on an Adarsh Nagar apartment on Thursday night, arresting one person and seizing contraband worth over ₹21 lakh.
Acting on a credible tip-off, the Commissioner’s Task Force, Central Zone Team, working alongside Saifabad Police, raided a flat in Prinstancode Apartments and nabbed Akash Sinde, a 28-year-old caretaker turned alleged trafficker.
Investigators found Sinde hoarding a staggering 670 e-cigarettes, representing a range of brands including Elfbar, Elux, Raya D1, Nasty, and Shisha. The accused, originally from Mangalhat, had been working as a caretaker at the apartment complex under Vishesh Agarwal’s employment.
Police said Sinde had tapped into a shadowy supply chain, sourcing the banned e-cigarettes from Delhi through an underground network. He would then stockpile them in Hyderabad and discreetly sell them to college students and young people, many of whom are drawn to the addictive flavours and easy availability.
“These e-cigarettes contain nicotine and harmful chemicals that can cause serious health hazards, especially for the youth,” an official familiar with the probe said. “He was making illegal profits at the cost of public health.”
The raid, conducted late on 5 June, resulted in the seizure of the entire stash, valued at approximately ₹21,00,000. The accused, along with the seized items, was handed over to the Saifabad Police Station for further legal action.
The operation was led by the Inspector of Police, Central Zone Task Force, with active support from sub-inspectors and staff of the Task Force and Saifabad Police Station.
