An Indian investigation found that Mumbai international airport’s duty-free shops run by billionaire Gautam Adani’s business group breached the law by selling nicotine pouches, which the government considers a public health hazard.

Background

India banned e-cigarettes and approved certain nicotine replacements like patches and chewing gums following a registration process under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. Nicotine pouches remain illegal and unapproved.

Tobacco kills 1.35 million people each year in India and a government study in June called nicotine pouches “a new and largely unregulated public health concern,” with widespread illegal sales and consumption among people aged 18 to 40.

Investigation

After receiving complaints from anti-nicotine group Mothers Against Vaping, India’s drug department inspected duty-free shops at Mumbai’s international airport in March and found imported nicotine pouches were being sold in the departure zone without the necessary approvals, government documents show.

Mumbai Travel Retail, a joint venture led by Adani with Dubai’s Flemingo, was asked to discontinue sales of nicotine pouches and seek approvals, government letters show.

Legal Challenge

Adani’s firm has told authorities the shops in the international departure area conduct business “beyond the customs frontiers of India” and are outside the regulatory reach of domestic regulations, its non-public High Court filing shows.

On June 24, judges in Mumbai’s High Court said “no coercive action” should be taken on the existing stock of pouches at Mumbai’s duty-free shops, scheduling the case for a July 14 hearing.

Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.