Ahmedabad airport police seize ₹72 lakh worth of rolling papers, smoking cones, trader arrested

The Airport police in Ahmedabad have arrested a 28-year-old trader and seized a large stock of rolling papers and smoking accessories worth ₹72.28 lakh during a late-night raid in the Hansol area.

The action was taken following a recent notification issued by the Gujarat government banning the sale of products such as rolling papers, gogo smoking cones and 'perfect rolls', which authorities say are increasingly being misused by minors and youths for the consumption of narcotic substances.

According to the First Information Report (FIR), the raid was conducted on December 16 after police received specific information that banned smoking accessories were being stocked and sold from two rented residential premises in Samarthnagar, near the Indira Bridge area. Acting on the tip-off, a team from the Airport police station carried out searches at house numbers 183 and 385, both linked to the accused.

The accused has been identified as Jackie Motwani, son of Prahladbhai Motwani, a resident of Sardarnagar, Ahmedabad. Police said Motwani had rented both premises and was allegedly using them to store and distribute prohibited smoking products.

During the search, police recovered a wide range of rolling papers, cones, filters and related items of various brands, including large quantities of 'Stash Pro' rolling papers and cones, along with gogo smoking cone samples. The total value of the seized material was estimated at ₹72.28 lakh, based on the prevailing market price.

Officials said the seized items included thousands of individual pieces and packets of rolling papers, cones and filters, stored in cartons and boxes. Some sample products without marked prices were also found during the raid. As the premises are located in a densely populated residential area, the seized goods were transported by rickshaw to the Hansol Surveillance Squad office for further legal formalities.

Police said the accused failed to provide any satisfactory explanation for stocking such a large quantity of banned items. He was arrested at around 5.30 am on December 16 and booked under provisions related to violation of the Gujarat Home Department notification, which prohibits the sale and storage of such products.

The FIR was registered on December 17 at the Airport police station. A case has been registered under relevant legal provisions, and further investigation is underway to ascertain the supply chain and identify other persons involved in the distribution of the prohibited products.