Major Gutka Smuggling Bust in Thane
Police in Thane, Maharashtra, seized banned gutka worth Rs 16.5 lakh concealed in a tempo. The driver was arrested after the discovery. Authorities are investigating the supply network and further involvement in the racket.
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In a significant raid early Sunday, police in Thane city, Maharashtra, seized banned gutka and tobacco products valued at Rs 16.5 lakh. The items were cleverly hidden within cloth bundles inside a tempo, leading to the arrest of one individual connected to the case.
The discovery followed a local police officer's suspicion upon observing the tempo's suspicious movement near Nagla Bunder on Ghodbunder Road. After halting the vehicle for inspection, the driver could not give satisfactory answers about the cargo, prompting a thorough search.
Inside the tempo, officials uncovered 130 bundles of cloth, some of which contained concealed packets of prohibited gutka and tobacco. The driver, hailing from Virar in the Palghar district, was promptly taken into custody. He faces charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Food Safety and Standards Act. Authorities continue to investigate the broader supply network and possible additional participants in the illicit trade.
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