Nagpur: In a major enforcement action, Ajni Police in Nagpur uncovered an illegal network involved in the sale and storage of banned e-cigarettes and foreign cigarettes, seizing goods collectively valued at ₹6,05,800 and registering a case against multiple accused individuals.
The operation began when a police officer from Ajni Police Station was on routine patrol duty within the jurisdiction and received confidential information from an informant. The tip-off indicated that a man would be arriving in the Shatabdi Nagar area on a white Honda Activa scooter carrying a stock of e-cigarettes, which are prohibited by the Government of India, with the intent to sell them. Acting promptly on this intelligence, the police stopped two passersby and requested them to act as independent witnesses (panchas), who agreed voluntarily. The police team, along with staff and witnesses, proceeded to the indicated location.
Near Orias Hospital, the police identified a suspect matching the description provided by the informant. He was riding a white Honda Activa bearing registration number MH-31-EL-4516. Upon being stopped and questioned, the individual identified himself as Mukesh Ramesh Chavhan, aged 41, a resident of Shanti Nagar, MHADA Colony in Nagpur. After informing him of the purpose of the search, police conducted a vehicle inspection in the presence of witnesses. During the search, a red bag was found in the front footrest area of the scooter, containing boxes of cigarettes. Further inspection of the scooter’s storage compartment revealed additional stock packed in large plastic sacks.
The seized items from the scooter included ESSE Black Super Slim cigarettes valued at ₹6,000 and ELFBAR Raya D3 Pro rechargeable disposable e-cigarettes worth ₹1,18,800. In addition, the Honda Activa scooter valued at ₹50,000 and an Oppo A16 mobile phone worth ₹10,000 were also seized, bringing the total value of the initial recovery to ₹1,84,800.
During interrogation, the accused disclosed that the seized goods belonged to Vikas Paraswani, Harish Paraswani, and Jagdish Paraswani, who operate Jagdish Kirana Stores. He further revealed that the stock was supplied to him for sale and that a larger quantity was stored in a godown located near Laxmi Talkies in the Burdi area. Acting on this information, the police team took the accused along and conducted a raid at the said godown.
At the godown, police discovered and seized additional banned cigarette stock, including Mond Variance Blueberry Menthol cigarettes worth ₹39,000, Esse Lights Super Slim cigarettes worth ₹5,000, Mond Watermelon cigarettes worth ₹1,000, and Mond Green Apple cigarettes worth ₹1,000. During the operation, police also inspected a Maruti Celerio car (MH-31-FA-0428) parked nearby, which was confirmed to belong to Vikas Paraswani.
The search of the vehicle led to the recovery of more prohibited items, including Mond Strawberry cigarettes worth ₹10,000 and Esse Special Gold cigarettes worth ₹17,000. Additionally, the car itself valued at ₹1,97,800 was seized along with multiple electronic items, including a OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite mobile phone worth ₹22,000, a OnePlus Nord CE 2 mobile phone worth ₹20,000, a Samsung mobile phone worth ₹18,000, a Dahua DVR valued at ₹5,000, and a Hikvision DVR worth ₹8,000. The total value of items seized from the godown and vehicle amounted to ₹4,21,000.
Combining both recoveries, the total value of seized materials reached ₹6,05,800. The confiscated items included banned e-cigarettes, foreign cigarette brands, vehicles, mobile phones, and surveillance equipment. Based on the written complaint filed by the police officer, a case has been registered at Ajni Police Station against the accused under relevant laws pertaining to the possession and sale of banned tobacco and e-cigarette products.
The entire operation was carried out under the guidance of senior officials, including Police Commissioner Dr. Ravinder Kumar Singhal, Joint Commissioner Navinchandra Reddy, Additional Commissioner Shivaji Rathod, Deputy Commissioner of Police Rashmita Rao, and Assistant Commissioner of Police Narendra Hiwre. The action was executed under the leadership of Senior Police Inspector Nitinchandra Rajkumar and Police Inspector (Crime) Prabhakar Kawale, along with a dedicated team of police officers and staff who successfully carried out the raid and seizure.
