2 arrested for illegal hookah trade in Hyderabad; Rs 70 lakh worth material seized
The police also discovered that he had stockpiled a large quantity of magic charcoal cartoons, which are highly flammable
- Crime
NewsTAP Bureau- Updated On:8 Nov 2022 6:27 AM GMT
HYDERABAD: The central zone task force team arrested two persons for indulging in illegal hookah trade and seized a stockpile of hookah pots, hookah flavours, coal, filters, pipes, and heaters from a godown in Abids on Monday.
The Commissioner's Task Force, Central Zone team, and Abid Road police raided the godown at Farmanwadi in Abids area based on credible information and discovered a large stockpile of hookah pots and other related material.
According to the police, Asif Raza, the accused, revealed during the interrogation that he had been illegally purchasing hookah items from Uttar Pradesh and Mumbai and was dumping them at the Abids godown. He also provided stock to needy customers with the assistance of one Mohsin, who works as a labourer at the godown, to make a quick buck.
However, when the police inquired about the requisite permission, he was unable to produce any valid licence from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Business Registration, GST Registration, Shop and Establishment licence.
The police also discovered that he had stockpiled a large quantity of magic charcoal cartoons, which are highly flammable and could result in fire accidents if no safety precautions are taken.
The police seized 300 kgs of unregistered hookah flavours, 300 kgs of various types of charcoal boxes, 600 hookah pots, 36 small heaters, three cartoons of magic foils, four bags of filter pipes, and disposable shisha hose pipes, all worth Rs.70,00,000 lakhs.
Asif Raza and Mosin were charged with violating both the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTP) and the Hyderabad City Police Act.
