Pimpri-Chinchwad police seize banned gutkha worth ₹91 lakh

The Pimpri-Chinchwad police arrested one person and seized banned gutkha worth ₹91 lakh from his possession on the Pune-Nashik highway on Sunday

PUNE: The Pimpri-Chinchwad police arrested one person and seized banned gutkha worth ₹91 lakh from his possession on the Pune-Nashik highway on Sunday.

The Pimpri-Chinchwad police arrested one person and seized banned gutkha worth ₹91 lakh from his possession on the Pune-Nashik highway on Sunday. ((PIC FOR REPRESENTATION))

The accused, a tempo driver, has been identified as Ganesh Vitthal Bhadale (32) of Koyali village, Khed tehsil in Pune district.

Acting on a tip-off that a tempo carrying banned gutkha would pass through the Pune-Nashik highway, the Chakan police laid a trap and intercepted the vehicle at Rohkal phata.

Banned gutkha worth ₹91,20,000 containing scented tobacco, paan masala products were found in the tempo. Gutkha and tempo, totally worth ₹1.20 crore, were seized. Assistant police inspector Vikram Gaikwad is investigating the case.

In 2012, the Maharashtra government first imposed a ban on the consumption, production, sale, distribution and storage of gutkha, paan masala and other related products, considering several proven health hazards of these items. In 2019, the ban was renewed. The state police units and the food and drug administration (FDA) have the powers to seize and conduct raids in connection to gutkha and paan masala.