14 held for storing and selling e-cigarettes, button-actuated knives in Delhi-NCR area

At least 14 people have been arrested from Delhi, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh for the alleged sale, storage, transport and purchase of banned e-cigarettes and button-actuated knives with around 2,700 e-cigarettes and 700 knives recovered from them in the national capital region, Crime Branch officials said on Monday. The e-cigarettes were delivered to the customers through online companies in parcels.

Crime Branch officials received an input regarding some persons selling e-cigarettes in Delhi, and some other suppliers storing e-cigarettes in bulk quantity in Old Delhi area, police said. “We further found out that the suppliers were also supplying and selling illegal knives through online mediums in Delhi and other parts of the country,” an officer said, adding that the police planned on raiding these hideouts and godowns.

The investigation began on August 8.

The sellers were identified and it was established that the suspected sellers would come along with their associates in vehicles after receiving the stock from their known suppliers.

Following an input, two cars were intercepted near Punjabi Bagh Club area in the city and over 380 e-cigarettes were recovered following a thorough search. A case under sections of The Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes (Production, Manufacture, Import, Export, Transport, Sale, Distribution, Storage, and Advertisement) Act was registered.

Police said the knives were being procured from Mumbai and Gujarat. The business of selling button-actuated knives was going on for a year, while the e-cigarette business was running for over two years to cater to customers in the Delhi-NCR area, police said.

The knives, an officer said, were of good quality and e-cigarettes were being delivered by online delivery companies.