In one of the most aggressive enforcement drives in recent months, the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has intensified its action against the gutkha mafia. In an operation spanning the first three weeks of April, the agency seized prohibited scented tobacco and pan masala worth a staggering Rs 1,74,24,922.

The crackdown targeted the illegal manufacturing, storage, and distribution of these health-hazardous substances, with officials raiding 143 locations across the state. The FDA’s message was clear: health over profit.