Six people were caught smuggling gutkha (chewing tobacco) worth Rs 4.84 lakh from Gujarat on Sunday night. Along with the banned product, Oshiwara Police also seized a truck and a tempo. A probe is underway to identify the kingpin in the drug smuggling racket, to cut off the drug links between Mumbai and Gujarat.
Police said, they had received a tip-off about contraband smuggling and accordingly laid a trap near Jogeshwari (W). Around 10pm on Sunday, a truck matching the description in the tip-off arrived near Raj Nagar and was intercepted by the police. During checking, it was revealed that the truck was transporting seven buffaloes in the city, but had concealed contraband in the roof of the vehicle.
A senior police officer said, banned gutkha worth Rs 4.84 lakh was seized from the truck and the six men were booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, Epidemic Diseases Act and Disaster Management Act for disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant (section 188), negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life (section 269), adulteration of food or drink intended for sale (section 272), sale of noxious substance (section 273), an act endangering personal safety of others (section 336) and common intention (section 34).
The arrested accused were identified as Sahal Madhia, 24, Arar Madhia, 31, Chandrakant Pawar 52, Zuber Kamani, 30, Imtiyaz Madhia, 40, and Imran Ravani, 40. Police said, they were smuggling contraband from Gujarat. Moreover, police also seized the truck and a tempo from the accused that was used in the crime and are trying to ascertain their links to the drug smuggling racket and trap the lead orchestrators of the trade in the city.
