In a major crackdown, the Telangana Anti-Narcotics Bureau (TGANB) in coordination with Hyderabad City Police on Monday, April 21, has busted a large-scale racket selling banned e-cigarettes and vapes to school and college students in the city.

The operation came to light during drug awareness campaigns held near educational institutions.

Teachers raised concerns about students accessing vapes and e-cigarettes, prompting TGANB to place schools and colleges at Abids, including Little Flower School, St Mary's Jr College, St George Grammar School, Rosary Convent High School, and Sujatha High School and Jr College, under surveillance.

Investigations revealed that two brothers, Sadiq Lalani and Anil Lalani, residents of Nampally, were operating an illicit network selling e-cigarettes and vapes in Hyderabad and parts of Andhra Pradesh.

According to the police, the accused created a WhatsApp group named "SID" with nearly 500 members to advertise e-cigarettes and vapes. Orders were placed via the group, and payments were made through UPI, wallets, and bank transfers, not only to the accused but also to accounts of their relatives and friends.

Supplies were sourced from contacts in New Delhi and Mumbai, identified as Amit and Waseem, respectively.

The racket also involved hawala operators for larger transactions, and delivery services to distribute the products. Relevant cases were also filed against DTDC, Uber, and Rapido for their alleged negligence in screening the parcels and supplying the same to youth and minors.

Shockingly, 13 juvenile students under the age of 18 were identified as customers. Authorities have initiated counselling for the affected families, highlighting the growing risk of early drug abuse.

Further investigations have unearthed over 400 users linked to the network. Bank records of the accused indicate sales of e-cigarettes exceeding Rs 1 crore.

A case has been registered under Cr No 98/2025 under provisions of the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act (PEC), the Juvenile Justice Act, and Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA).

A raid at the accused's residence led to the seizure of 1,217 e-cigarettes of various brands and models, worth an estimated Rs 25 lakh.

Seven large cartons contained products from brands such as POD Salt, Elfbar, Ignite, Waka, Nasty, Olive Bar, and JUUL. Authorities also recovered Rs 18,440 in cash, 225 US dollars, and 100 Canadian dollars from the possession of the accused.