The CB Control unit of the Mumbai Police on Thursday conducted simultaneous raids at 11 locations in Mumbai, arresting 12 e-cigarette vendors and seizing illegal vaping products contraband worth over Rs 14 lakh ($17,000).
According to CB Control officers, the raids were the culmination of an eight-day-long operation, during which information about people illegally selling e-cigarettes was collected and verified. E-cigarettes are banned for sale, purchase and use in India under the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act 2019.
Police also contacted an online vendor through a dummy customer and placed an order for 100 e-cigarettes, asking him to come to Nagpada with the goods. As soon as he showed up, the call went out and all the other markets were raided at the same time.
“We seized a total of 2030 e-cigarettes worth Rs 14.60 lakh, along with 963 boxes of scented tobacco and 53 bottles of refilling liquid. Three of the shops we raided were also selling e-cigarettes to minors when we conducted the raids. They were additionally charged Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act,” Patil said.