Hyderabad: In a major crackdown on the sale of banned electronic cigarettes, the South-East Zone Task Force, along with IS Sadan police, arrested three men on Friday. The team seized 109 devices, two motorbikes, and three mobile phones, collectively valued at approximately ₹6 lakh.
The accused were identified as Syed Idris (22), a businessman from Mangalgat; Amer Khan (20), a student from Mallepally; and Mohd Asad (23), who runs a chicken shop near Masquati Ground in Santosh Nagar.
Police said the trio had been sourcing different brands of banned Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems popularly known as E-cigarettes from a man named Shakeer in Delhi. They were allegedly pushing the devices at hefty mark-ups, making a quick buck at the expense of unaware customers.
Officers said the stash included brands like Elfbar-40K, Elfbar-30K, Elfbar-25K, Elfbar-Raya D1, and Demon Killer. They cautioned that these devices, though popular among some, are banned for a reason posing health risks and falling foul of the law.
The operation was carried out under the supervision of Inspector S. Saidababu of the South-East Zone Task Force, with assistance from sub-inspectors P. Sairam, Sk. Kaviuddin, and M. Madhu, as well as constable Syed Aziz Mohammed and IS Sadan police staff.
Authorities urged the public to steer clear of banned E-cigarettes and similar devices, cautioning that their use could have serious health consequences.
