567 cases booked against tobacco sales near schools

Rs 1.10 crore worth tobacco seized in Operation Safe School crackdown

Metro India News | Hyderabad 

Hyderabad City Police have intensified their drive against illegal tobacco sales near educational institutions under “Operation Safe School,” registering 567 cases and seizing tobacco products worth around Rs 1.10 crore.

The special enforcement drive was conducted on April 18 with the objective of creating drug-free zones around schools and colleges. Police teams carried out coordinated raids across the city, targeting shops selling gutka, cigarettes, and other tobacco products in violation of legal provisions near educational campuses.

More than 5,000 police personnel participated in the simultaneous operation, including Law and Order police, Task Force units, Hyderabad Narcotics Enforcement Wing (H-NEW), Reserve Police, and other special squads deployed across multiple zones.

Zone-wise details revealed that Charminar Zone recorded the highest number of cases with 119, followed by Rajendranagar (102), Golconda (98), Khairatabad (78), Secunderabad (64), Jubilee Hills (54), and Shamshabad (52), indicating widespread violations near educational institutions.

Hyderabad Police Commissioner V.C. Sajjanar said tobacco products often act as the first step toward drug addiction among youth. He warned that easy availability of cigarettes and gutka near schools encourages experimentation, which may later lead to serious substance abuse involving drugs and ganja.

He stated that “Operation Safe School” aims to break this dangerous chain at the earliest stage and confirmed that inspections will continue regularly without interruption to protect students’ futures.

Cases have been booked under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Juvenile Justice Act Sections 77 and 79, and the e-cigarette ban law.