Mumbai Crime Branch Seizes Rs 25.5 Lakh Worth of Banned E-Cigarettes From Kurla Shops; One Arrested

In a major crackdown on the sale of banned electronic cigarettes, the Crime Branch Unit 6 seized e-cigarette stock worth ₹25.50 lakh from two liquor shops in Kurla (West). One person has been arrested in the case. The accused has been identified as Ubaid Mohammad Salim Shaikh, aged 31.

According to officials from the Crime Branch, a tip-off was received on 1 August 2025 about illegal stocking of banned electronic cigarettes near Asha Bai Chawl, Siddhpura Masjid, Makadwala Compound in Kurla West. Acting swiftly on this intelligence, a police team conducted a raid at the said location.

During the raid, the team recovered a total of 1,884 units of electronic cigarettes of various brands and flavours, along with tobacco-based hookah flavours. The total market value of the seized items is estimated to be ₹25,50,195.

Following the seizure, the accused was booked under Sections 7 and 8 of the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act, 2019, and Sections 4 and 21 of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003. An FIR has been registered at Vinoba Bhave Nagar Police Station. Further investigation into the matter is underway.