Banned tobacco, gutka worth Rs 11.8 lakh seized in Thane district; one held

Thane, Oct 10 (PTI) Police have seized banned tobacco products and gutka worth Rs 11.8 lakh from a shop in Maharashtra's Thane district and arrested its owner, an official said on Friday.

Based on a tip-off, a police team raided the shop in Ulhasnagar town on October 7 and recovered large quantities of gutka packets of various brands, which are banned in Maharashtra under the Food Safety and Standards Act, the official said.

He said they arrested the shop owner, Dhiraj Mahesh Ambvani (28), and registered a case under sections 223 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 274 (adulteration of food or drink intended for sale), and 123 (causing hurt by means of poison, etc., with intent to commit an offence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with relevant provisions of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rules.

"We are investigating the source of supply and distribution network of the seized goods. Further inquiries are underway to trace others involved in the racket," the official added. PTI COR ARU