Mumbai : In a major crackdown on illegal activities, Unit-7 of the Mumbai Crime Branch raided an unlawful hookah parlour named Orange Mint Lounge and More, located above Bar Bank in Surya Nagar, Vikhroli (West).
The raid, carried out around 12:30 am on September 21, revealed that the establishment was illegally serving hookah along with beverages in violation of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003, and its 2018 amendments.
A total of 27 people, including 2 managers, 1 cashier, 12 employees, and 11 customers, were arrested. Police seized ₹10,300 in cash, 14 hookah sets, 7 boxes of hookah flavours, and other related equipment from the premises.
A case has been registered at Parksite Police Station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and COTPA. The arrested individuals and seized items were handed over to the police station for further action.
The raid was led by Senior PI Ajay Shankar Ballal of Unit-7, along with his team of officers and in the presence of two independent witnesses.
This action forms part of Mumbai Police’s ongoing drive to clamp down on unauthorised hookah parlours operating under the guise of lounges and restaurants.
