Maharashtra: Gutka worth Rs 20 lakh seized in Thane

Police arrested the driver of a truck in which he was smuggling banned gutka worth Rs 20 lakh into Maharashtra’s Thane city, an official said here.

The police spotted the truck around 8.30 pm on Friday near Parsik Circle at Kalwa in the city. During a search, the police found that the vehicle was loaded with gutka, he said.

Boxes of medicines, gels and some other products worth Rs 10.73 lakh were stacked in the front portion of the truck’s carrier, while the gutka was loaded in the rear side, the official from Kalwa police station said.

An offence under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 420 (cheating), 328 (causing hurt by means of poison), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 272 (adulteration of food or drink intended for sale) and others was registered against six persons, including the owner of the transport company and four persons who were to purchase the banned substance, he said.