Editor Mr.Mayank Rawat ( Chief Editor Mr. Rohit Mishra )
New Delhi: Delhi Police’s Crime Branch has arrested a 33-year-old man and seized 78 banned ELFBAR vapes imported from China, with an estimated market value of Rs 1.56 lakh.
Gurucharan, from Partapgarh in Uttar Pradesh, runs a pan shop named Chaurasia in Ashok Vihar and used it as a front to peddle illegal e-cigarettes.
According to police, the arrest was made during routine patrolling in the intervening night of April 17-18. “A police team was stationed near a banquet hall on Bhagwan Mahavir Road. Around 2 am, officers flagged down a suspicious Scooty approaching from Azadpur Road. The rider attempted to flee but was intercepted after a short chase,” additional commissioner of police (crime) Sanjay Kumar Sain said.
“Police officers found a plastic bag containing 78 ELFBAR e-cigarettes, currently prohibited under Indian law. Each piece was valued at Rs 2,000, totalling Rs 1.56 lakh. A case was registered under the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act, 2019,” additional CP Sain added.
Gurucharan confessed to selling these banned products at inflated rates, especially targeting young first-time smokers attracted by the sleek, trendy design. He admitted to earning nearly Rs 800 profit on each unit. TNN
Mayank Rawat
