AIMING to uproot the growing menace of narcotics and tobacco distribution in Nagpur, the city police launched ‘Mission Axe’. During the secret operation, the police teams raided 17 locations across the city and seized banned substances worth over Rs 43.37 lakh and arrested of 26 persons. Among the confiscated items were large quantities of e-cigarettes, hookah pots, flavoured tobacco, nicotine products, and illegal accessories.

 

The crackdown began when confidential intelligence revealed the presence of banned products such as e-cigarettes and hookahs circulating through a chain known as ‘Texas Smoke Shop’. Acting on the information Commissioner of Police (CP) Dr Ravinder Kumar Singal verified the information through informants and mobilised a discrete investigation through the local Crime Branch. After confirming the information, the CP charted an extensive plan to target these illegal networks. A total of 17 locations were selected personally by the CP. To maintain the secrecy, the information were shared with only a few trusted officers, including ACP Abhijit Patil and NDPS PI Gajanan Gulhane, just a day before the raids.  

 

 

 

 At exactly 6 pm on Tuesday, 150 police personnel in 17 specially-formed teams executed simultaneous raids across Nagpur. These included 13 Texas Smoke Shops, two paan shops and one godown - a total of 32 searches were conducted across 13 police station jurisdictions. The police seized e-cigarettes, hookah pots, flavoured tobacco, Nicotine liquids, prohibited lighters, DVRs, mobile phones, scooter collectivelly worth Rs 43,37,448. A total of 26 accused were apprehended, and 16 FIRs were registered by the police.

 

 

Investigations revealed that the entire Texas Smoke Shop chain was operated as a franchise by Ashish alias Ankush Amrutlal Shahu, who had established 14 such outlets in Nagpur over the past 5–6 years. A raid at a godown beneath a temple near his residence yielded massive stockpiles of illegal materials. The police also discovered that many of the seized tobacco products were imported under the guise of “Arabic Country” flavours via seaports and then distributed across major Indian cities. The police found suspicious digital evidence, including photos of partially torn currency notes, has raised the issue of illicit payment system including Hawala. The matter is under further investigation. All accused have been charged under the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act, 2019, COTPA (Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act), Prohibited Flavored Tobacco Act, relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). b

 

 

 Commissioner of Police Dr Singal warned of the psychological toll nicotine and similar substances have on youth which causes anxiety, memory loss, irritability and damage to social and academic life. “This is a threat to the future of our youth and the integrity of our society. We are not just seizing items, we are saving lives,” said Dr Singal.