The Telangana EAGLE Force, along with Madhapur police, busted the organised sale of banned electronic cigarettes at two outlets in Madhapur and Durgam Cheruvu and apprehended three persons on Thursday (September 3, 2026).

Acting on information that e-cigarettes were being sold to minors, the teams raided Smart Smoke near Metro Pillar 1775 in Madhapur and Smoke on Vibes near Metro Pillar 1745 at Durgamcheruvu. They seized 152 e-cigarettes, 34 packets of foreign cigarettes, and ₹9,500 in cash.

Police said the two outlets were owned by Aboobakar Siddiqui and Rameez, both from Dakshina Kannada district in Karnataka. Smart Smoke had been operating for about two years, while the second outlet was opened around two months ago.

The outlets, which sold hookah pots and pipes, cigarettes, perfumes and soft drinks, were also selling banned e-cigarettes. The owners were operating a website for marketing and selling the products. Customers placing orders were contacted through WhatsApp, sent a QR code for payment and asked to share their location. The e-cigarettes were then delivered through bike taxi services.

According to the EAGLE Force, payments from the sales were credited to two bank accounts held by Aboobakar Siddiqui. About ₹2.1 crore was credited to his bank account and another ₹21 lakh to his other bank account over the past two years.

During the enquiry, police identified around 130 consumers in Hyderabad who had purchased e-cigarettes from the outlets. The EAGLE Force also said banking transactions had helped identify 351 persons who had bought vapes and that further legal action would be taken against them.

The three persons apprehended were 24-year-old Mohammed Raihan Khan, 25-year-old Mohammed Zubair, and 28-year-old Ashiq, all employees working at the two outlets. The two owners, Aboobakar Siddiqui and Rameez, are absconding.

Police said action would also be initiated against the management and employees or delivery personnel of Porter and Rapido who assisted in transporting the banned products. The EAGLE Force said the investigation was continuing to trace the owners and the wider supply chain.

Cases were registered at Madhapur police station under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act, Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act and Juvenile Justice Act.