Gutkha and tobacco products worth Rs 38 lakh seized in Thane district

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in collaboration with the local police, on Thursday seized banned gutkha and tobacco products worth nearly Rs 38 lakh in Thane district of Maharashtra, officials said.

Acting on a tip-off, FDA personnel conducted a surprise check at a godown complex in Bhiwandi town and discovered an abandoned tempo. An inspection revealed the vehicle was loaded with prohibited goods like gutkha and tobacco products worth Rs 37,91,844, they said.

The tempo valued at Rs 15 lakh was also confiscated, Inspector Santosh Shinde of the Narpoli police station said.

The vehicle's driver and other individuals associated with the stock fled the scene, he said.

An FIR was registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and FDA Rules at the Narpoli police station in Bhiwandi against several unidentified accused, including the tempo driver, its owner and the person who owned the seized stock, said Shinde.

He said efforts were underway to locate and apprehend the accused.

The sale and consumption of gutkha, scented and flavoured tobacco products have been banned in Maharashtra since 2012.