Banned hookah tobacco seized

The food and drug administration department on Thursday raided two shops at Sadar Bazaar and seized over 100 hookahs and 65 packets of tobacco molasses.

The food and drug administration department on Thursday raided two shops at Sadar Bazaar and seized over 100 hookahs and 65 packets of tobacco molasses.

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The hookahs and tobacco molasses were being illegally sold at the shops despite a blanket ban imposed by the Haryana government on their sale and usage last year.

Following a tip-off, a team led by district drugs inspector Pooja Chaudhary raided a steel and aluminum utensil store on Thursday morning and recovered 10 hookahs and 3.5 kg of flavoured tobacco molasses. The molasses contained very high quantity of nicotine and were being sold in 50 gm packets.

“This raid led us to another shop where we recovered another 100 hookahs. We have booked the shop owners under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act,” Chaudhary said.

She said the shopkeepers will also face penal action for flouting Section 144 of the CrPC. The police will book the shopkeepers for flouting the government directive under Section 188 of IPC. Close to 200 hookah bars in the city were also forced to down shutters in the wake of the ban. The Gurgaon administration too invoked Section 144 of CrPC to ensure the ban.