The Navi Mumbai police seized banned gutkha and tobacco products worth Rs 42.72 lakh and arrested seven persons in this connection, an official said on Tuesday.
Based on a tip-off, the police intercepted four tempos coming out of an automobile showroom in Mhape MIDC area on January 15, police commissioner Bipin Kumar Singh said.
Banned gutkha products were found in one of the tempos and on interrogation, the driver revealed that the stock was being moved from Mhape, he said.
The police subsequently raided a godown in the MIDC area and found banned products in three more tempos, the official said.
The police with the help of the FDA officials seized gutkha and scented tobacco worth Rs 42.72 lakh, he said.
An offence under relevant sections of the IPC and Food Safety and Standards rules has been registered against the accused with the Rabale MIDC police station, the official said.
The police have arrested Israr Ahmed Niaz Ahmed Shaikh (45), Suraj Harish Thakkar (41), Sastu Sameth Yadav (34), Nitin Baburao Kasbe (49), Nouruddin Ali Shoukat Sayyed (26), Mohammad Nafiz Rafique Shaikh (34) and Pawankumar Pannalal Srivastav (27), he added.
