Man held in Hyderabad for selling banned e-cigarettes worth Rs. 21 lakh

A man was arrested in Saifabad, Hyderabad, for illegally selling banned e-cigarettes. Task Force officials seized 670 vapes worth Rs. 21 lakh from a flat. The accused allegedly sourced them from Delhi and sold them to students and youth.

Hyderabad: The Task Force (Central) team, in coordination with the local police, apprehended a man on charges of illegally selling banned e-cigarettes in Saifabad on Thursday.

Officials seized 670 e-cigarettes and vapes, collectively valued at Rs. 21 lakh, from the accused, identified as Akash Shinde (28), a private employee residing in Adarsh Nagar, Saifabad.

---

Acting on a tip-off, the team raided a flat in Adarsh Nagar and found Akash in possession of the banned products.

In pursuit of easy and illegal profits, Akash allegedly procured e-cigarettes at low cost from Delhi through a network of agents. He then transported them to Hyderabad, stored them in a residential apartment, and sold them discreetly to known customers, primarily targeting college students, teenagers, and youth.

The suspect and the seized items have been handed over to the Saifabad police for further action.