Gutkha traders, weary of ceaseless raids ever since state government banned the nicotine-laced substance, have found a workaround in tandem with smalltime sellers to keep the cash registers ringing, leaving a bitter taste in the mouth of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Heading out for business? FDA officials seized a batch of gutkha during a recent raid in Pimpri, which had a ‘For Export' tag. Pic/Sachin Thakare