Gutkha worth ₹17.50 lakh seized from 2 houses in Navi Mumbai, one arrested

Two houses in Koparkhairane and Ghansoli were raided wherein gutkha, pan masala and aromatic tobacco worth ₹17.50 lakh were seized in an operation led by Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone I, Navi Mumbai. The accused, who runs a pan shop and who had stocked the banned products, has been arrested

Two houses in Koparkhairane and Ghansoli were raided wherein gutkha, pan masala and aromatic tobacco worth ₹17.50 lakh were seized in an operation led by Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone I, Navi Mumbai.

Two houses in Koparkhairane and Ghansoli in Navi Mumbai were raided wherein gutkha, pan masala and aromatic tobacco worth ₹17.50 lakh were seized in an operation led by Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone I, Navi Mumbai. One person has been arrested. (HT FILE PHOTO)

The accused, identified as Manoj Kumar Narendra Khanda (37), who had stocked the banned products, has been arrested by the police.

“We had received information that the accused, who runs a pan shop in Koparkhairane, had stocked pan masalas at two rented houses converted into godowns,” Vivek Pansare, DCP, zone I, said.

The police raided the house on the ground floor of Saguni Niwas building in Koparkhairane Sector 19.

During the raid, 32 sacks of pan masala, 15 sacks of tobacco used for mixing in this pan masala, 11 sacks of scented pan masala and three sacks of saffron jarda used for mixing it were found.

In the raid in Koparkhairane, the police found the banned products worth ₹9.55 lakh.

After this operation, the team raided a flat near Hanuman Mandir in Ghansoli village and found prohibited flavoured tobacco, various types of flavoured pan masala, tobacco and other tobacco products worth around ₹8 lakh.

“Khanda was arrested and presented before the court on Wednesday and has been remanded to police custody. Further investigations are on to find if any more accused were involved in the crime,” Salim Shaikh, Assistant Police Inspector, said.