In a significant breakthrough, City Police arrested four individuals and confiscated Gutkha worth ₹10 lakh in the Mondha Naka area on Saturday.
The arrested individuals are identified as Syed Saif Syed Yousuf (22, Mondha Nala area), Shaikh Naim Shaikh Mehmood (32, Lotakaranja, Mominpura), Syed Majed Syed Farooq (29, Nawabpura, Old Mondha, Lotakaranja), and Akhtar Nizam Pathan (34, Bashirnagar, Harsul Lake).
On Saturday afternoon, DCP Zone II Navneet Kanwat received information that banned Gutkha was stored in a godown in Hari Masjid, Old Mondha Jafar Gate area.
The special squad of DCP Kanwat conducted a raid and discovered banned Gutkha and scented tobacco products in gunny bags. The police estimated the seized Gutkha's value, a process that started at around 3 pm and continued until 7 pm, resulting in an estimated worth of ₹10 lakh.
Despite the state government's ban on tobacco products and Gutkha, these items are openly sold in pan kiosks and grocery shops.
While the city police have conducted sporadic actions against Gutkha suppliers, there hasn't been a substantial effort to curb its sale in the city.
DCP Kanwat took the initiative to launch a drive against illegal activities, with the action executed by the team led by API Harish Khatavkar.
The police seized Gutkha of various brands from other states, amounting to ₹10 lakh, and arrested four individuals.
