Delhi: NCB Fines 70 Shops For Selling Tobacco Near Schools

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police have raided and fined 70 shop owners for selling tobacco products close to the Capital's educational institutions in violation of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), as reported by the Hindustan Times. 

Operation Kavach

According to Union Home Affairs and the lieutenant governor's orders, the raids were carried out on Wednesday as part of "Operation Kavach 4.0", according to Special Police Commissioner (Crime) Ravindra Singh Yadav. He continued by saying that their main goal was to locate and detain anyone connected to the distribution and trafficking of tobacco products close to educational institutions.

According to Yadav, 31 locations in Delhi were found to have 70 vendors selling tobacco products within a 100-meter radius of the schools. "This was a special operation that was carried out in a single day throughout all of Delhi to send a strong message to such illegal vendors operating close to educational institutions.” He told Hindustan Times.

The joint operation included intelligence gathering, surveillance, canine support, and undercover officers. "The main goal of Operation Kavach is to protect children from the drug threat."