Hyderabad police launch ‘Operation Safe School’ against tobacco sale near schools

Hyderabad police launched ‘Operation Safe School’ deploying 5,000 personnel to curb tobacco sales near schools. Undercover operations led to action against pan shop owners selling nicotine products to minors under COTPA and JJ Act provisions.

Hyderabad: In a major operation aimed at curbing sale of nicotine substances to children the Hyderabad police conducted undercover operations at different pan shops located near the school and initiated action against the owners for selling tobacco products to children.

City Police Commissioner, VC Sajjanar said that the Hyderabad police launched ‘Operation Safe School’, operation started by roping in around 5000 policemen drawn from local police, Task Force, drug sniffing dogs and CAR staff to check 589 pan shops. “Our teams filmed a few pan shop owners handing over tobacco products to the children. We are initiating action against them,” said VC Sajjanar.

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The Hyderabad CP said that the teams conducted recce and decoy operations in different parts of the city. “Since one week, a tab has been kept on the pan shop and decoy operations conducted. Videos and photos of the pan shop owners selling cigarettes to the school children were filmed,” said the official.

Sajjanar said the nicotine in the form of either cigarette or pan masala is a gateway to drugs. “It is prohibited to sell tobacco products in pan shops or kirana shops in a radius of 100 yards. In future in coordination with the GHMC we will be shifting the shops located within 100 metre radius of the schools. Action is being initiated under COTPA Act and JJ Act against the pan shop owners,” said the Hyderabad CP.

The Hyderabad police will be conducting the regular drive in the city in coming days.

VC Sajjanar inspected a few shops in the city along with other officials and also interacted with the students at a few schools.