Mumbai: The Crime Branch Unit 2 has seized banned e-cigarettes worth Rs14.16 lakh during a crackdown in the Paydhuni area and arrested four accused in connection with the illegal sale and storage of the prohibited products.
According to the FIR, Crime Branch Unit 2 acted on specific intelligence received by Senior Police Inspector Tejankar on April 30. The tip-off indicated that banned electronic cigarettes were being sold on Kolsa Street in Paydhuni.
Acting on the information, a Crime Branch team laid a trap at around 9:10 pm and caught Abdul Aslam Rehman, 22, red-handed carrying a bag containing e-cigarettes. The police recovered 45 e-cigarettes of various flavours worth Rs1.35 lakh from his possession.
During interrogation, Rehman revealed that he had procured the stock from Salman Juned Zaveri, 34, who had stored a larger quantity at his residence. Based on this information, the Crime Branch raided Zaveri’s residence at Al Husaini Heights on Kolsa Street and seized 83 e-cigarettes worth Rs2.49 lakh.
Further investigation led to the arrest of Mohammad Haroon Kheradia, 24, who was apprehended near the same building. Police recovered 99 e-cigarettes worth Rs2.97 lakh from him.
Subsequently, based on Kheradia’s disclosure, the team detained Mohammad Faizan Jafar Hakam, 22, from Zakaria Masjid Street and seized 245 e-cigarettes worth Rs7.35 lakh.
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In total, the Crime Branch seized 472 banned e-cigarettes worth Rs14.16 lakh over two days. Police said the accused had stocked the products for illegal sale.
Police Constable Firoz Abbas Sayyed, 39, attached to Crime Branch Unit 2, filed a case at Paydhuni Police Station. A case has been registered against the four accused under Sections 7 and 8 of the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes (Production, Manufacture, Import, Export, Transport, Sale, Distribution, Storage and Advertisement) Act, 2019.
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