The EAGLE Force and Kushaiguda police have raided an outlet in Sainikpuri over the alleged sale of banned e-cigarettes, including to minors. The team seized 39 e-cigarettes and apprehended two people. The investigation has also uncovered an interstate supply network linked to transactions exceeding ₹10 crore.
A joint team of the State Task Force, Telangana’s EAGLE Force and Kushaiguda police raided The Smoke Shop in Sainikpuri. Those apprehended were Ubais, 20, the shop owner, and Ussainar PH, 19, who worked at the outlet. Both are from Kerala and were residing in Sainikpuri.
Investigators allege that Ubais procured e-cigarettes from Arshad, whom he met while working at a shop on MG Road in Bengaluru. He allegedly bought products worth ₹50,000 in July 2026 and obtained another consignment during a visit to Bengaluru in September. Arshad is absconding.
According to the investigation, the outlet used WhatsApp to inform customers about available e-cigarette brands. Payments were collected through PhonePe using a scanner linked to a Canara Bank account in Kasaragod, Kerala. Deliveries were arranged through Rapido, whose records show 26 deliveries from August 3, 2026, onwards. The roles of Rapido, Porter and Uber in the wider alleged trade are also being examined.
Around 45 consumers in Hyderabad have been identified, and the outlet reportedly sold three to four e-cigarettes daily. The wider probe has traced transactions exceeding ₹10 crore linked to entities in Kasaragod and Dakshina Kannada, Karnataka. EAGLE Force said it had raided seven outlets over the alleged sale of banned e-cigarettes and vapes in the preceding two months.
Officials warned that illegal e-cigarettes pose a serious health risk to children and young people, as nicotine exposure can cause dependence and affect the developing adolescent brain. EAGLE Force urged parents to speak openly with children about vaping, asked schools to strengthen awareness programmes and report suspected sales, and appealed to the public to share credible information with police. A case has been registered at Kushaiguda police station under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act, 2019, and the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act. Further investigation is under way.
