WhatsApp order, delivery via Rapido: Vape outlet busted in Raidurgam

Hyderabad: WhatsApp orders, digital payments and Rapido deliveries. This was the business model of an e-cigarette racket busted by the EAGLE Force and Raidurgam police in Hyderabad on Thursday, November 12.

The State Task Force (STF), EAGLE Force, in coordination with the Raidurgam Police of the Cyberabad Commissionerate, conducted a joint operation at ‘Smokin Spot’ following a tip-off about the sale of banned e-cigarettes, including their supply to minors.

The team arrested 28-year-old Aboobacker Siddique, a Keralam native who managed the outlet while staying at a private hostel in Madhapur, Hyderabad.

They also seized 46 e-cigarettes/vapes, 49 foreign cigarette packets, two mobile phones, and two digital payment scanners.

Interstate suppliers under lens

Preliminary investigation showed that this March, the outlet’s owner, Mohammed Shareef, also a Keralam native, appointed Siddique, a distant relative, as manager. Investigators have also identified Arshad, from Keralam, as a suspected supplier of e-cigarettes. Arshad is on the run, and the team is working on establishing his role in the supply chain, including the source of procurement and the financiers.

The police also said that investigations into the broader network have indicated the involvement of interstate suppliers and financial transactions running into several crores of rupees, with important leads reportedly traced to entities operating in Kasaragod, Keralam.

The investigation is also examining suspected international procurement routes, including consignments originating from China and Dubai, and their movement into India through interstate distribution networks involving Keralam and Karnataka.

The possible use of multiple retail outlets, transportation services, and digital payment channels to expand the illegal business is also being probed.

Modus operandi

Investigators say the customers were informed about the availability of e-cigarette brands through WhatsApp messages. The outlet was allegedly using a mobile number exclusively for such communications and coordinating orders and deliveries.

The payments were collected through digital payment scanners linked to SBI and Federal Bank accounts. Customers who visited the store paid either in cash or through PhonePe. The deliveries were allegedly arranged through Rapido.

The scale

Preliminary enquiries have revealed that the outlet sold approximately 107 e-cigarettes or vapes during October and November 2026, with each device’s price ranging between Rs 2,800 and Rs 4,000, depending on its puff capacity.

The police said that the seized mobile phones, payment scanners, and digital records might also provide crucial leads regarding customers, suppliers, financial transactions and delivery arrangements. Investigators are examining the role of delivery channels and whether they were aware of the nature of the prohibited products being transported.

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