Thane: The Anti-Narcotic Cell of the Thane crime branch has arrested a 31-year-old man and paan shop owner for selling prohibited hookah flavours at his paan shop. The crime branch sleuths have seized 1300 packets and 6 small barrels of different hookah flavours worth Rs 6.92 lakhs.
The police said the raid was conducted at the Mogambo Paan King shop Bhavani apartment, in front of TJSB bank, Ram Maruti Road, Thane. The team of the sleuths from ANC raided the shop on October 1, Friday and found varieties of hookah flavours manufactured in India, Dubai, and Saudi Arabia among other countries.
The police said the arrested accused was identified as Darshak Deepak Manke 31, a resident of Ramwadi, Naupada. Manke is the owner of the shop and allegedly claims the sale of the flavours and the demand had led him to keep the product in quantity.
Vijay Powar, senior police inspector, ANC, Thane confirmed the arrest and said, “The accused was arrested and released on bail. He has been selling hookah flavours that are prohibited for selling. However, we are further verifying where and how he brought the flavours and it was mostly being sold to youngsters,” added Powar.
A case has been registered at Naupada police station under the section of Cigarette and other Tobacco products act, 2003 and section of the COTPA (Maharashtra Amendment) Act, 2018
