HYDERABAD: Hyderabad City Police booked 567 cases and seized banned tobacco products worth Rs 1.1 crore as part of ‘Operation Safe School’ drive on Friday.
Police said 119 cases were registered in the Charminar zone, followed by 102 in Rajendranagar, 98 in Golconda, 78 in Khairatabad, 64 in Secunderabad, 54 in Jubilee Hills and 52 in Shamshabad. Over 5,000 personnel, including teams from Law and Order, Task Force, H-NEW and Reserve Police, participated in the operation.
Hyderabad CP VC Sajjanar said tobacco products often act as a gateway to substance abuse among youth. ‘Tobacco products are the entry point to the drug menace.
The primary objective of ‘Operation Safe School’ is to break this chain at an early stage,’ he said, adding that strict action will continue under relevant laws, including the COTPA, BNS and JJ Act.