E-Cigarette Ring Busted in Capital: Five Arrested

Five individuals have been arrested in the national capital for allegedly storing, transporting, and selling e-cigarettes. The police seized 257 e-cigarettes worth approximately Rs 5 lakh and Rs 4 lakh in cash. The sale and distribution of e-cigarettes have been illegal in India since September 2019.

Five men have been taken into custody in the national capital for their alleged involvement in the storage, transport, and sale of e-cigarettes, police reported on Friday.

The crackdown led to the recovery of 257 e-cigarettes valued at about Rs 5 lakh, along with a cash haul of Rs 4 lakh.

The manufacture, import, advertising, and sale of e-cigarettes have been prohibited in India since September 2019.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Vichitra Veer recounted that a suspicious Ertiga car was spotted at 2 am on October 2 near the Ashok Park Main Metro station.

Two drivers were apprehended at the scene as they shifted boxes, each containing 10 e-cigarettes, into the vehicle.

The suspects, Ritik Uppal and Sabi Kumar, gave up names of three other accomplices during interrogation, leading to the arrest of Aniket, Pawan Chaurasia, and Dikshant Kumar, with 57 additional e-cigarettes retrieved.

(With inputs from agencies.)