In a recent operation by the Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Branch, two individuals have been arrested for selling prohibited Chinese lanterns through social media platforms. Dhruv Patel (20) from South Bopal and Mohit Bulchandani (24) from Paldi were caught using Facebook Marketplace to advertise the banned sky lanterns.
Following a tip-off, the cyber crime branch’s technical team traced a listing labeled “Sky Lanterns” on Facebook Marketplace. The team then initiated communication with the seller via Facebook Messenger and arranged for a meet-up. The suspects were later caught near Sarkari Chavdi Circle in Makarba, where police confiscated 60 Chinese lanterns and a mobile phone used in the illegal transaction.
The arrested individuals are now facing charges related to violating the ban on sky lanterns, which have been prohibited due to safety concerns. Police continue to investigate the case.
