18 arrested during raid at illegal e-cigarette firm in Noida

Eighteen people were arrested here Monday following a raid at an illegal e-cigarette company which was operating as a "software firm" as its frontal office, officials said.

The illegal company, which transacted online, was unearthed during a joint raid by the Noida administration, the police and the district tobacco control cell around 1 pm, they said.

City Magistrate Shailendra Mishra had got the information about illegal online sale of e-cigarettes from a building in C block of Sector 65, a police officer said.

"Prime facie, a software company BrainPulse Technology-- was operating from the first floor of the building. But when its documents were searched thoroughly it was found to be the address for a portal HYPERLINK "http://lovelite.in"lovelite.in which was used for illegal sale of e-cigarettes," Circle Officer, Noida 2nd, Piyush Kumar said.

"Their stock was checked and e-cigarettes in huge quantity were recovered along with payment slips. In one more room in the backside of the office, e-cigarettes, nicotine etc was found in huge quantity," he said.

Kumar said, "Eighteen people were arrested from the spot, but the owner of the company was not there and searches are underway to nab him."