Telangana EAGLE Force seizes Imiracle vapes in Karimnagar cafe raid

Telangana’s EAGLE Force arrested the operator of a Karimnagar cafe and seized 12 e-cigarettes and 11 refillers, saying the outlet took WhatsApp orders and routed supplies from Secunderabad. The agency put the devices at roughly Rs 3,000 each.

The Regional Narcotics Control Cell in Karimnagar carried out the raid at Bismillah Cafe in Mukrampura. EAGLE Force identified the accused as Md Asif, 40, a resident of Godamgadda. He and the seized material were handed to Karimnagar II Town Police Station.

The case cites PECA, BNS, juvenile justice and tobacco control provisions

Police registered the matter as Crime No. 691/2026 under Section 318(4) read with Section 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Sections 4 read with 7 of the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act 2019, Section 77 of the Juvenile Justice Act 2015, and Sections 20(2) and 6(b) of COTPA 2003.

PECA, in force since 2019, prohibits the sale of e-cigarettes in India. The juvenile justice and tobacco control sections in the case indicate investigators are also examining exposure of minors and tobacco-product rules, not only the vape prohibition.

Investigators trace supplies to a Secunderabad hookah centre

EAGLE Force says Asif first bought two devices from a Secunderabad contact called Ayan through WhatsApp, then asked for more stock for resale. According to the agency, Ayan passed on Umer’s number, and later consignments came through transport services with payment by online transfer.

Ayan reportedly runs A1 Ayan Hukka Centre in Secunderabad. Police are reviewing chat logs, payment records and transport arrangements to map the full chain. The material does not state that Ayan, Umer or the hookah centre face charges; the supply role remains alleged and the links are described as suspected.

The seized devices carry an Imiracle name and a 40,000-puff rating

EAGLE Force attributes the 12 devices to Chinese manufacturer Imiracle (Shenzhen) Technology Co. Ltd and rates their capacity at up to 40,000 puffs. The agency estimated each at about Rs 3,000.

Statewide drive has produced 12 cases and 19 arrests so far

EAGLE Force says its campaign against illegal e-cigarette distribution in Telangana has registered 12 cases, arrested 19 people, left 23 others listed as absconding and seized about 1,631 boxes of e-cigarettes.

The agency says wider investigations indicate e-cigarettes worth more than Rs 10 crore may have entered the state through organised channels. It is examining procurement routes involving China and Dubai, onward movement via interstate suppliers, suspected hawala transfers and possible foreign-exchange violations. The agency states that the involvement of delivery platforms and other intermediaries has yet to be established through evidence.

A single cafe seizure points to repeatable ordering and delivery steps

For manufacturers and exporters supplying or considering the Indian market, the case describes a distribution pattern rather than a one-off sale: messaging-app orders, third-party transport and digital payment, with a retail storefront as the access point. That is VapeBrief’s analysis of the facts EAGLE Force set out, and it points to where enforcement resources in Telangana are being directed, at the transport and payment layer as well as the shop. Whether the devices were imported by the named manufacturer through lawful channels is not established in the material.

Retailers in Telangana face inspections at ordinary food and hookah venues

The raid struck a cafe, not a dedicated vape shop, which broadens the premises types that enforcement can reach. Licensees operating food or hookah businesses alongside unrelated retail should expect police to test whether prohibited stock is on site.

EAGLE Force has asked parents, teachers and schools to watch for vape availability and invited public reports of manufacture, import, storage, transport, sale or distribution through its toll-free number 1908, WhatsApp 87126 71111, website and email, saying informants can be rewarded and their details kept confidential.

Investigators say further work will trace suppliers, identify other people involved and establish the financial and distribution network. No court date or deadline is stated in the material.

Questions readers ask

Are e-cigarettes illegal in India?

Yes. The Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act 2019 prohibits e-cigarettes in India, and the Karimnagar case cites Sections 4 read with 7 of that Act alongside other provisions.

How can the public report illegal vape sales in Telangana?

EAGLE Force lists a toll-free number 1908, WhatsApp 87126 71111, a website and an email address for reports on manufacture, import, storage, transport, sale or distribution, and says informant details stay confidential.