Police bust inter-state e-cigarette smuggling gang

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Commissioner’s Task Force, West Zone, has apprehended six people involved in illegally importing banned e-cigarettes from Dubai and selling them in the city. Police seized e-cigarettes worth Rs 25 lakh.

Police arrested Abdullah Shetty (42), a supplier from Mumbai; Mohd Tajuddin (38), a coordinator; Mohd Sami Mukram (34), an auto driver and wholesaler; Mohd Sohail Khan, a retailer; and workers Khaleel Ahmed (41) and Mayank Bise (25). A total of 13,600 Platinum Seven Cool cigarettes and 360 Elfbar Moon Night 40,000 Puffs e-cigarettes were seized from them. According to police, Sohail Khan was apprehended at MLA Colony, Banjara Hills. He stated he had purchased the e-cigarettes from Sami Mukram. Later, Sami Mukram was arrested and revealed his contacts with Abdullah Shetty, a Mumbai-based supplier. Whenever Abdullah Shetty came to Hyderabad, he would stay at a hotel in Lakdikapool to supply the goods.

Mohd Iqbal Siddiqui, Additional DCP Task Force, said Abdullah Shetty was apprehended along with the other accused, who were dealers of e-cigarettes and foreign cigarettes. “Abdullah Shetty a few years back had met Sohail and had made a deal with him to sell cigarettes,” said Iqbal. As per the arrangement, he received e-cigarettes and foreign cigarettes from Dubai through different people sent by Sohail and supplied them in the market to earn illegal profits and evade commercial tax. The sale of e-cigarettes is prohibited in Telangana. The DCP added that Tajuddin was a coordinator who looked after receiving and delivering the goods, while Khaleel Ahmed supplied manpower. Mayank had recently arrived in Hyderabad from Dubai to deliver a consignment to Tajuddin.