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Gutkha, pan masala worth ₹2.74 crore seized, one arrested
The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) have arrested a man and seized gutkha, pan masala and other banned tobacco products worth ₹2.74 crore from a godown in Bhiwandi
The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) have arrested a man and seized gutkha, pan masala and other banned tobacco products worth ₹2.74 crore from a godown in Bhiwandi on Saturday.
The seizure and the arrest came following a raid conducted at the godown located in Kharbao area of Bhiwandi during the intervening night of January 16 and 17, the officials said.
According to the FDA officer, the accused Amarbahadur Saroj, 34, is a supervisor of the godown.The officers acted after a tip-off received by the Manik Jadhav, FDA head of Thane, about the godown being used for stocking the banned tobacco items. The operation lasted 30 hours, Jadhav said.
“We have recovered a stock of gutkha, pan masala and other banned tobacco products that are collectively worth ₹2.74 crore. We are yet to arrest the owner of the godown. The accused was produced before a local court, which remanded him in police custody till Monday.”
A team of FDA officials visited the godown, which was being used as a wedding hall till recently, and found a huge stock of banned tobacco products, joint commissioner of the Konkan division of the FDA, Shivaji Desai, said.
Based on the complaint lodged by the FDA officials, the Bhiwandi Police have registered an offence under various sections of the Food Safety and Standards Act, and under IPC sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 272 (adulteration of food or drink intended for sale), 273 (sale of noxious food or drink) and 328 (causing hurt by means of poison, etc., with intent to commit an offence). The FDA officials said they are on the lookout for three more persons, including the owner of the godown.
With inputs from PTI
