Hyderabad: The police in Hyderabad have taken action against illegal activities by raiding a hookah café that was pretending to be a regular coffee shop. The raid was conducted by the Commissioner’s Task Force, South Zone Team, along with the Bahadurpura Police. The café, called “The Wolf Café & Lounge,” is located in the Bahadurpura Police Station area.
During the raid, seven people were arrested, including the café’s owner, Mohd Abdul Muzammil. The investigation showed that Muzammil was illegally serving hookah to customers, which is against the law, especially when it involves tobacco products.
Those arrested include:
1. Mohd Abdul Muzammil (26 years old) – Owner of the café
2. Mohd Furkhan Ahmed (18 years old) – Manager
3. Mohd Nazeer (41 years old) – Supplier of hookah flavors
4. Sayed Zameer (25 years old) – Customer
5. Syed Sohail (20 years old) – Customer
6. Syed Fazal (20 years old) – Student and customer
7. Mohd Mukkram (20 years old) – Customer
During the raid, the police seized 19 hookah pots, five boxes of hookah flavors (each box containing 50 grams), and six boxes of hookah coals. The total value of the seized items was around ₹30,000.
According to the police, Muzammil had been running the café for some time but was not making enough profit. To attract more customers, he started selling illegal hookah. He bought the hookah flavors from a supplier named Mohd Nazeer, who was also arrested. The hookah products contained nicotine and other suspicious ingredients, which violated the laws under the COTP Act (Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act).
Muzammil had been involved in criminal activities before, having been charged for selling harmful substances.
The Task Force received reliable information about the illegal activities at the café, which led to the successful raid and arrests. The arrested individuals and the seized items were handed over to the Bahadurpura Police for further investigation. A case was registered (Cr. No. 289/2024) under various sections of the COTP Act.
The raid was carried out under the leadership of Inspector S. Raghavendra, with the help of Sub-Inspectors N. Naveen, K. Narsimulu, and other officers from the Task Force and Bahadurpura Police.
This operation is a significant move in the city’s ongoing efforts to stop illegal businesses that try to operate under the cover of legitimate enterprises.
