Banned gutka, tobacco of Rs 16.5 lakh seized in Thane; 1 held

Police have seized banned gutka and other tobacco items valued at Rs 165 lakh and concealed within cloth bundles in a tempo and arrested one person in this connection in Maharashtras Thane city officials said on Sunday reported news agency PTIA police officer noticed the tempo moving suspiciously near Nagla Bunder on Ghodbunder Road in the wee hours of October 30 and stopped it for inspection reported PTIWhen questioned about the consignment the driver gave evasive answers prompting a detailed searchUpon checking the tempo was found to be loaded with 130 cloth bundles A further inspection revealed that banned tobacco and gutka packets were concealed inside some of these bundles the police said in the statement reported PTIThe products were seized and the tempo driver a resident of Virar in neighbouring Palghar district was arrested they said reported PTIA case was registered against the tempo driver under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Food Safety and Standards ActWe are probing the supply network and possible involvement of others in the racket a police official saidGutka banned tobacco products worth Rs 46 lakh seized in ThaneThe police have seized gutka and banned tobacco products valued at nearly Rs 46 lakh in Maharashtras Thane city an official said on October 26 reported news agency PTIActing on a tipoff about the sale of the contraband from a residential property in the Kasarwadavali area the police raided the premises on October 21 he saidThe cops seized various brands of banned gutka and tobacco products valued at about Rs 46 lakh and booked two persons identified as Nilesh Chalwade 35 and Satyaban Behra 32 reported PTIA case has been registered against Chalwade and Behra under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita BNS and the Food and Drug Administration FDA Act reported PTIThe police are trying to determine the source of the gutka and the distribution network of the accused persons the official addedThree held with Rs 6 lakh gutka banned tobacco products in Palghar districtIn another case three persons were arrested after the police in Maharashtras Palghar district recovered gutka and banned tobacco products valued at Rs 6 lakh from them reported news agency PTIActing on inputs the local crime branch on August 28 searched a tempo parked near a dhaba in the Talasari areaGutka and other tobacco products worth Rs 6 lakh were found in the vehicle Three occupants of the tempo were arrested the official saidA probe is underway to ascertain from where the banned goods were procured and to where they were being transported the police said in a release reported PTIThe trio has been identified as Mohammad Arjab Jamirul Haq 22 and Dilshad Shamshad Ali 20 both drivers hailing from Pratapgarh Uttar Pradesh and Nenaram Chabhuji Gujar 48 a businessman from Rajsamand Rajasthan reported PTIWith inputs from PTI