Pune: Four in net for hookah pot, tobacco home delivery

PUNE: Three youngsters launched home delivery business of hookah pots and tobacco products during the Covid-19 lockdown to make a moolah. They ran out of luck on Thursday.
The city crime branch officers detained the trio and their accomplice at Talab Chowk in Kondhwa for selling hookah pots and tobacco products during the lockdown through an application they had launched.
Deputy commissioner of police (crime) Bachchan Singh received information that two first-year BBA students and their accomplice, holding a degree in commerce, were illegally selling the banned products. The trio, aged 19, 24 and 28, were detained when they went for a delivery to a decoy customer on Thursday.
Their aide, a shop owner (28), was also detained for supplying hookah pots and tobacco products to the trio. Police seized 11 hookah pots, six packets of tobacco products, four cellphones and two mopeds, collectively worth Rs 1,47,100. An FIR under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, Disaster Management Act, Maharashtra Covid-19 Rules and Epidemic Diseases Act was registered with the Kondhwa police.
Senior inspector Rajendra Mohite, the Anti Extortion Cell in-charge, said, “After receiving information that a cellphone number written on the app was used for selling hookah pots and tobacco products, we established the identity of the person using it through technical probe. The suspect agreed to deliver hokkah pots to the decoy customer at Talab Chowk only after he spoke in English over the phone.”
A police team led by sub-inspector Nilesh Mahadik detained the trio after they arrived at the spot. The shop owner was detained later.