Noida: Man held for smuggling e-cigarettes worth ₹8 lakh

The e-cigarettes were allegedly brought from China to Nepal, and then he was carrying them in acar from Uttarakhand to Delhi where they were to be sold

Noida: The Noida Police on Monday arrested one person from Sector 39, Noida for allegedly smuggling a large consignment of banned e-cigarettes of an estimated ₹8 lakh worth, officers aware of the development said.

During interrogation, the suspect purportedly told police that he bought the e-cigarettes from the Nepal-India border through an international supplier in Uttarakhand. (HT Photo)

The e-cigarettes were allegedly brought from China to Nepal, and then the suspect was carrying them in a Maruti Swift car from Uttarakhand to Delhi where they were to be sold, they added.

“The suspect has been identified as Riyaz Ahmad, 35, a resident of Udham Singh Nagar in Uttarakhand,” said Manish Kumar Mishra, additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP), Noida.

On Monday, the suspect was nabbed near Sector 37 police outpost.

“Local police had received a tip-off that such a consignment would cross Noida early Monday morning. Acting on the information, police intensified checking and around 3.30am, was intercepted by police near Sector 37 police outpost (that falls under Sector 39 police station),” the ADCP said.

“These multi flavoured e-cigarettes are of high-end quality which are designed in the USA and manufactured in China,” the officer added.

During interrogation, the suspect purportedly told police that he bought the e-cigarettes from the Nepal-India border through an international supplier in Uttarakhand.

“The China-manufactured e-cigarettes were procured by the suspect from Nepal-India border in Uttarakhand’s Khatima city in Udham Singh Nagar district, and were to be sold in Delhi at bars and restaurants. The estimated value of these e-cigarettes is ₹8 lakh,” said police, the car was also seized.

The suspect has been booked under charges of the PECA (Prohibition of e-Cigarettes Act), COTPA (Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act), and NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Act.

On June 14, police arrested two people and seized a large consignment of e-cigarettes an estimated worth ₹1 crore. Similarly, on June 24, two people were arrested for smuggling e-cigarettes worth ₹45 lakh.

On Sunday night, a 30-year-old man identified as Ranjit (single name), a resident of Barola in Sector 49, was arrested from Sector 47 for illegally selling e-cigarettes and cannabis in the area, said police, adding that 88 e-cigarettes, 1.2 kg of cannabis, and a motorcycle were recovered from his possession. The suspect was booked under relevant sections of the NDPS Act at Sector 49 police station.