Nanded: In a major crackdown on illegal businesses in the Nanded range, a special team formed under the directions of Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Shahaji Umap conducted raids on Monday in Hingoli district and Nanded city, seizing gutkha worth Rs 72.93 lakh and total contraband valued at Rs 1.03 crore, including vehicles.
As part of the operation, a team comprising Assistant Police Inspector Dashrath Taledwar and five personnel first raided Balapur in Hingoli district early on Monday. During the action, gutkha worth Rs 14.67 lakh was seized from three four-wheelers. The police also seized three vehicles valued at Rs 10 lakh. In this case, two accused, identified as Karan Sadashiv Avchar (20) and Prabhakar Digambar Avchar (32), both residents of Bhosi village in Kalamnuri of Hingoli district, were booked at Akhada Balapur police station under relevant sections of the BNS and the Food Safety and Standards Act. Further investigation is being carried out by Police Inspector Vishnukant Gutte.
Following this, the same team conducted a raid on a gutkha storehouse (godown) in the Itwara area of Nanded city. During the operation, gutkha worth Rs 58.26 lakh and a truck valued at Rs 20.50 lakh used for supplying the contraband were seized, taking the total seizure in this case to Rs 78.76 lakh. Two accused, Sheikh Jibran Sheikh Mukhid (26), a resident of Degloor Naka, Nanded, and Ganesh Ramrao Karhale (26), a resident of Tirupati Nagar, Dhanegaon in Nanded district, were taken to the police station, and the process of registering a case at Itwara police station is underway.
The action was carried out by Assistant Police Inspector Dashrath Taledwar along with Head Constables Pradeep Khansole and Sanjeev Jinkalwad and Constables Ganesh Dhumal and Kamaji Gawali. In recognition of the successful action, DIG Shahaji Umap announced a cash reward of Rs 15,000 for the officers and personnel involved in the operation. Police are also probing whether the accused had backing from other individuals to continue the illegal business.
DIG Shahaji Umap appealed to citizens to report information about illegal activities in their areas to the nearest police station.
