An illegal hookah bar in Hyderabad with a cafe as a front was busted by the police. Seven people, including the owner and four customers, were arrested on the spot. This news comes at the heel of the Telangana state assembly passing a bill earlier this year, prohibiting hookah parlours in the state.
The Wolf Cafe & Lounge In Hyderabad Busted For Being An Illegal Hookah Bar
According to a report by TOI, The Wolf Cafe & Lounge in Hyderabad’s Bahadurpura area was raided by the South Zone Task Force on Thursday. The South Zone Task Force along with the Bahadurpura Police busted the hookah bar posing as a cafe. On entering the space, the police found the staff to be serving hookah to their customers with the exterior and branding of a cafe.
The owner of the cafe Mohammad Abdul Muzammil (26) was arrested last year for a similar crime. Muzammil was attracting customers with flavoured hookah mixtures that contained nicotine. This is despite Hyderabad’s strict regulations against such activities. Apart from the owner Muzzamil, the manager Mohammad Furkan Ahmed (18) and hookah flavour supplier Mohammad Nazeer (41) were also arrested.
Also Read: Tera Pyaar, No Hookah Bar! Karnataka Bans Sale & Consumption Of Hookah With Immediate Effect
Owner Sought This Way Out To Increase Profits
Four customers aged 20 and 25 years, Syed Sohail, Mohammad Mukkram, Syed Fazal and Sayed Zameer were arrested as per the TOI report. Moreover, the police seized materials worth ₹30,000. This includes 19 hookah pots, six boxes of hookah coils and five boxes of hookah flavours (each box containing 50g)
As per the police, the main accused, Muzammil, who is the cafe owner was struggling with low profits in his cafe business. So, he decided to switch to illegal hookah services to attract customers and increase his revenue. On sourcing hookah flavours from his supplier, he charged higher rates for the hookah laced with nicotine. The Bahadurpura Police and the South Zone Task Force launched an operation to seize illegal materials and arrest people involved.
Also Read: Oman Govt. Bans Electric Cigarettes & Hookah, Levies Fine Up To OMR 2,000
Folks in Hyderabad, are you aware of similar cafes in your city posing as cafes or restaurants but illegally serving hookah.
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