Illegal e-cigarette racket busted in Hyderabad, student arrested

The Hyderabad Task Force and Mangalhat police busted an illegal electronic cigarette racket and arrested a 23-year-old student. Police seized 282 banned vapes worth Rs 8.7 lakh. The accused allegedly sold the products online, mainly targeting college students

Hyderabad: The Task Force (Khairatabad Zone), along with local police, has busted an illegal electronic cigarette racket and nabbed a 23-year-old student at Mangalhat on Wednesday.

The suspect, Tikale Rohan, was caught during a raid at his house where police seized 282 banned electronic cigarettes of different brands, all worth Rs 8.7 lakh.

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According to police, Rohan and his associate Shivnani Pratham, who is currently absconding, allegedly procured the banned products from a supplier, Perwin Salman Zubair, through a network operating from Mumbai. The consignments were reportedly transported to Hyderabad through parcel services and stored at a residence in Dhoolpet.

Pratham created a WhatsApp group to attract customers, mainly targeting college students and youngsters. “Orders were collected online, payments were made through digital platforms, and the vapes were delivered to customers through bike taxi delivery services,” said an official.

The suspect and the seized material have been handed over to the Mangalhat police for further investigation.