The Central Crime Branch (CCB) sleuths raided a godown of a wholesale distributor and seized e-cigarette products worth Rs 1.25 crore.
Officials belonging to the Women Protection Wing raided the godown belonging to Vardhaman Marketing in Kumbarpet in Nagarathpete on Tuesday. They received information that Vardhaman Marketing is involved in selling e-cigarettes banned by the central government.
Officials arrested two employees of the wholesaler — Sachin Chowdary and Siddalinga — while making efforts to trace the owner.
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Police said the owner of the wholesale firm procured the banned e-cigarettes and sold them to shops in the city. Officials recovered around 2,850 e-cigarettes, 8,000 e-cigarette liquid flavours, 2,220 e-cigarette pods, batteries and other spare products.
The arrested have confirmed to the police that the e-cigarette products were procured from Mumbai and China.
A case has been registered under the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes (Production, Manufacture, Import, Export, Transport, Sale, Distribution, Storage and Advertisement) Act at the Halasuru Gate police station.
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