Nagpur: In a significant breakthrough against the illegal trade of banned e-cigarettes, Nagpur Police, in coordination with Pune Police, uncovered an interstate smuggling network operating from a warehouse in Pune. The operation resulted in the seizure of prohibited e-cigarettes, foreign cigarettes and cash collectively worth several lakhs, while the alleged kingpin of the racket was detained and brought to Nagpur for further investigation.
The accused, identified as Moaz Ejaz Khan (32) of Yerawada, Pune, is suspected of running a large-scale distribution network supplying banned vaping products to multiple states, including Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi.
According to investigators, Khan allegedly used a warehouse functioning under the name New India Bakery in Pune’s Boat Club area as a cover for the storage and distribution of prohibited e-cigarettes. Police said the illegal tobacco products were being supplied across state borders while the premises outwardly operated as a bakery-related facility.
The crackdown stemmed from a series of actions taken by Nagpur Police against e-cigarette sellers over the past year. During a recent operation in Pachpaoli, police arrested a local vendor and subsequently traced the supply chain to Pune. Further investigation by the Anti-Narcotics Cell revealed that a substantial quantity of the banned e-cigarettes seized in Nagpur had originated from the Pune-based network.
Acting on the intelligence, a special team led by Senior Police Inspector Gajanan Gulhane of the NDPS Cell travelled to Pune under the supervision of Police Commissioner Dr. Ravinder Singal, Additional Commissioner of Police Navinchandra Reddy and Deputy Commissioner of Police Rahul Maknikar. With assistance from local police, the team conducted a raid on the suspected warehouse.
During the operation, police seized foreign-made e-cigarettes valued at Rs 8.78 lakh, 22 liquid-filled vaping devices worth Rs 9,000, and 569 foreign cigarettes without the mandatory statutory health warnings worth Rs 73,000. Investigators also recovered Rs 6.66 lakh in cash, believed to be linked to the illegal business.
The accused and the seized material have been handed over to Pachpaoli Police Station in Nagpur. Police are now probing the extent of the interstate network and are working to identify other individuals involved in the supply, storage and distribution of banned e-cigarettes across various states.
Officials said the investigation is ongoing and further arrests are likely as police continue to trace the racket’s wider links and distribution channels.
