Kolkata Police arrest 4, seize e-cigarettes in Park Street shop raid
Synopsis
Kolkata Police raided 'The Smokers Den' on Park Street late Wednesday, arresting four men and seizing a large cache of banned e-cigarettes. With investigators probing the supply chain and more raids reportedly planned across the city, the operation could expose a wider illegal vaping network in Kolkata.
Key Takeaways
Kolkata Police arrested four persons during a raid on 'The Smokers Den' at 191 Park Street on Wednesday night, 17 September 2026 .
A joint team of the Anti-Rowdy Section (ARS) and Detective Department seized a large quantity of illegally stored e-cigarettes from the shop.
The four accused — Mohammed Rifaiz (22) , Abdul Hakim K (28) , Ahmed Masud (21) , and Mohammed Ejaz (40) — are all Kolkata residents.
All four were produced before the ACJM court in Sealdah on Thursday; police reportedly sought custody for further questioning.
Investigators are tracing the supply chain; further raids on other city shops are reportedly being planned.
E-cigarettes have been banned across India since 2019 under the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act.
Kolkata Police arrested four persons and seized a large consignment of illegally stored e-cigarettes during a late-night raid on a shop at 191 Park Street in the city on Wednesday night, 17 September 2026. The operation, targeting 'The Smokers Den' under the jurisdiction of Beniapukur police station, followed a tip-off that the establishment was being used to store and sell e-cigarettes in violation of the law.
How the Raid Unfolded
A joint team from the Anti-Rowdy Section (ARS) and the Detective Department of Kolkata Police descended on the Park Street shop based on prior intelligence. Investigators recovered a large quantity of e-cigarettes during the search and detained all four persons associated with the premises. A case has since been formally registered by the Detective Department at Beniapukur police station, with multiple sections of law invoked against the accused.
The Four Accused
The arrested individuals have been identified as Mohammed Rifaiz, 22, Abdul Hakim K, 28, Ahmed Masud, 21, and Mohammed Ejaz, 40 — all residents of Kolkata. The first three reportedly reside at an address on Linton Street within the Beniapukur police station area, while Ejaz is a resident of Ripon Street. All four were produced before the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) court in Sealdah on Thursday, according to the police, with investigators reportedly applying for custody to facilitate further questioning.
What the Police Said
A senior Kolkata Police officer stated: 'The questioning of the arrested persons is going on in this matter. The four arrested persons will be produced before the ACJM court in Sealdah today (Thursday). The investigators may apply for their custody in the court for questioning. The matter is being investigated from all angles.'
Investigators are probing whether the shop had been operating as an illegal e-cigarette depot for an extended period. The focus of the questioning is on tracing the supply chain — identifying the source of the seized stock, the suppliers involved, and whether additional individuals are part of the alleged illegal network.
Wider Crackdown Possible
According to sources, further raids on other shops across Kolkata are being considered as part of the ongoing investigation. Authorities are seeking to determine the scale of illegal e-cigarette storage and sales in the city. This comes amid a nationwide ban on e-cigarettes in India, which has been in force since 2019 under the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act, making their production, manufacture, import, export, transport, sale, distribution, and storage a punishable offence. The Park Street raid signals that enforcement in West Bengal may be intensifying.
Point of View
Yet the scale of stock found at a single retail outlet on a busy commercial street suggests enforcement has been sporadic at best. The supply-chain angle is the one worth watching: if investigators can trace the source of the seized stock, it could reveal a distribution network that extends well beyond one Park Street shop. The broader question is whether this raid signals a sustained crackdown or a one-off operation — because without consistent enforcement, bans on contraband products tend to push trade underground rather than eliminate it.
NationPress
17 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why were the four persons arrested in Kolkata?
The four individuals were arrested for allegedly storing and selling e-cigarettes illegally at 'The Smokers Den' on Park Street, Kolkata — an offence under the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act, 2019, which bans the production, sale, and storage of e-cigarettes across India.
Are e-cigarettes banned in India?
Yes. E-cigarettes have been banned in India since September 2019 under the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act. The law makes their production, import, export, sale, distribution, and storage punishable offences.
Who are the accused in the Park Street e-cigarette raid?
The four accused are Mohammed Rifaiz (22), Abdul Hakim K (28), Ahmed Masud (21), and Mohammed Ejaz (40), all residents of Kolkata. The first three reportedly live on Linton Street and the fourth on Ripon Street.
What happens next in the Kolkata e-cigarette case?
All four accused were produced before the ACJM court in Sealdah on Thursday, with police reportedly seeking custody for further questioning. Investigators are working to trace the supply chain, and sources indicate further raids on other Kolkata shops are being considered.
Which police units conducted the raid on 'The Smokers Den'?
A joint team from the Anti-Rowdy Section (ARS) and the Detective Department of Kolkata Police conducted the raid on 'The Smokers Den' at 191 Park Street, under the Beniapukur police station jurisdiction.
