Rs 4 lakh gutkha seized

Aurangabad, April 13:

Crime branch police seized banned gutkha amounting to Rs 3.84 lakh on Centra Naka to TV Centre road on Tuesday. The accused and a Bolero Pick-up vehicle, all articles amounting to Rs 11 lakh have been seized, informed PI Avinash Aghav. The arrested has been identified as Shaikh Asif Shaikh Osman (26, Kiradpura).

Police said, crime branch API Manoj Shinde received an information that a Bolero Pick-up (MH 16 AY 8280) will transport gutkha, banned in the state on Tuesday. Accordingly, the police laid a trap on Central Naka to Azad Chowk road and stopped the vehicle. The police seized scented pan masala, jafran zarda and gutkha, all worth Rs 3.84 lakh and vehicle Rs 7 lakh.

Asif told the police that the owner of the gutkha was Sheetal Bohra while he worked on commission basis for him.

A case has been registered against Asif and Bohra.

The police action was executed under the guidance of ACP Vishal Dhume, PI Avinash Aghav by API Shinde, ASI Satish Jadhav, constables Santosh Sonawane, Chandrakant Gawali, Dnyaneshwar Pawar, Bhagwan Shilote, Vishal Patil, Vilas Muthe, Nitin Deshmukh and others.