21 May,2026 09:30 PM IST | Mumbai | Abhitash Singh
A senior DRI official said investigators are now tracing the shipping routes, financial transactions and local handlers linked to the racket. Pic/Special Arrangement
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has uncovered a large multi-state smuggling network after seizing around three lakh illegal e-cigarettes worth nearly Rs 120 crore, officials said on Thursday.
They said that the operation exposed a sophisticated international supply chain allegedly bringing banned vaping products from China into India.
The massive seizure has raised concerns among law enforcement agencies and health experts over the growing use of illegal vapes among youngsters in Mumbai and other cities.
According to officials, the illegal Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) were intercepted at ports, airports and Inland Container Depots (ICDs) across Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi and West Bengal.
Investigators believe the devices originated from China and were smuggled into the country through carefully planned international routes.
To avoid customs checks, the products were allegedly hidden inside cargo containers falsely labelled as household goods such as furniture and metal chair parts.
A senior DRI official said investigators are now tracing the shipping routes, financial transactions and local handlers linked to the racket.
Officials suspect that hawala channels and digital payment networks may have been used to transfer large sums of money to overseas suppliers.
The DRI is now focusing on identifying warehouse operators, distributors and financiers allegedly involved in the illegal trade.
The officials believe the seizure has disrupted a major supply chain, but investigations are continuing to uncover the full network.
Former Mumbai Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede said that vaping has increasingly become popular among urban youngsters despite the nationwide ban.
He warned that many teenagers see vaping as a fashion trend without understanding the health risks or legal consequences.
According to enforcement officials, disposable vapes imported at low prices are being sold at very high rates in lounges, shops and illegal retail networks.
Medical experts have also raised alarms about the health dangers linked to illegal vaping products.
Dr Sujeeth Babu, pulmonologist at Dr. L H Hiranandani Hospital, said vaping aerosols can cause severe and permanent lung damage.
Dr Sujeeth Babu, pulmonologist at Dr. L H Hiranandani Hospital
He explained that vaping devices heat liquid chemicals into aerosols that are inhaled deep into the lungs. Since many smuggled products are unregulated, their chemical composition remains unknown and potentially dangerous.
Doctors warned about EVALI - E-cigarette or Vaping Product Use-Associated Lung Injury - a serious medical condition linked to vaping.
Health experts said the long-term impact of such products is still not fully understood.
