Following a tip-off, the police on Saturday tried to intercept a container truck at Manor on Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway, inspector Satish Shivarkar told PTI
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Police have seized gutka, a banned product, worth Rs 94 lakh and arrested two persons in this connection in Maharashtra's Palghar district, an official told news agency PTI on Sunday.
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Following a tip-off, the police on Saturday tried to intercept a container truck at Manor on Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway, inspector Satish Shivarkar told PTI.
Its driver tried to escape via a flyover towards Gujarat, but the police and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials managed to stop the vehicle, the official told PTI.
They seized the gutka stock packed in 168 gunny bags and being smuggled into the state, the official told PTI.
The police arrested the vehicle's driver and cleaner and booked them under relevant provisions, the official told PTI.
The sale and consumption of gutka, scented and flavoured tobacco has been banned in Maharashtra since 2012. In 2018, the state government made sale of gutka a non-bailable offence and enhanced the punishment for it from six months to three years.
Last month, the Palghar Police in Maharashtra have seized banned gutka worth Rs 56.9 lakh from eight vehicles and arrested three persons who were allegedly transporting it illegally in the state, an official said, the PTI reported.
Acting on a tip-off, the police on August 22 evening intercepted seven tempos and a truck near Sasoon Navghar at Juchandra on Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway, Naigaon police station's senior police inspector Ramesh Bhame said, according to the PTI.
The banned product was being shifted from the truck to tempos for distribution in different locations in Mira Bhayander area and neighbouring Mumbai, he said.
The police seized banned gutka worth Rs 56,90,496 and also the eight vehicles, the official said.
On seeing the police, those operating the vehicles and their associates escaped into a nearby forest. The police managed to nab three of them, he said.
Offences were registered under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 against the three arrested accused and seven other persons, who are at large, the official said.
The police were probing from where the accused procured the banned goods and to whom they were supposed to deliver them.
(With inputs from PTI)
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