Delhi Man Arrested for Selling Illegal Chinese E-Cigarettes to Youngsters

New Delhi: The Delhi Police Crime Branch has arrested a 33-year-old man for running an illegal trade of Chinese-made e-cigarettes, targeting Gen-Z and first-time smokers. The accused, identified as Gurucharan, was caught with 78 banned e-cigarettes during a late-night operation in Shalimar Bagh.

Gurucharan runs a small pan shop in Ashok Vihar and lives in Shalimar Bagh. According to police officials, he had been selling the banned e-cigarettes to young customers, many of them teenagers, by promoting them as a trendy lifestyle product. The sleek design and flashy appearance of these devices made them popular among urban youth.

The police said the recovered e-cigarettes have a market value of around ₹1.56 lakh. Each one reportedly earned Gurucharan a profit of ₹800.

“In the intervening night of April 17 and 18, the police stopped a scooter during a routine vehicle check. The rider tried to flee but was intercepted. A search of his vehicle led to the recovery of a plastic bag full of e-cigarettes,” a senior officer said.

Gurucharan was arrested on the spot and later confessed during questioning that he had been selling these banned items from his shop. He also admitted to encouraging young people to try them.

A case has been registered against him under sections 4 and 7 of The Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act, 2019.

Originally from Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Gurucharan had studied only up to Class 5 and moved to Delhi in search of work. He allegedly entered the illegal business about a year ago, hoping to make quick money.

The police are now investigating further to trace the supply chain and dismantle the network behind the sale of these banned e-cigarettes.