Thane: Two arrested for selling banned gutkha in Kalwa

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A police official on Sunday said that two persons were arrested for allegedly stocking and selling banned gutkha and other tobacco items in Kalwa in Thane, reported news agency PTI.

The official identified the two as Imran Harmud Ali and Sujal Pawar, who ran a paan shop and sold banned gutkha, reported PTI.

Items worth Rs 55,000 were seized from the two, who have been charged under Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita and FDA rules, the Kalwa police station official added, reported PTI.

In another case, the Special Intelligence and Investigation Branch seized more than 63 lakh sticks of foreign brand cigarettes with an estimated value of Rs 6.5 crore from a container at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust and arrested one of the masterminds, an official said on Saturday, reported PTI.

The Jawaharlal Nehru Custom House, located in Nhava Sheva area of Raigad district, is responsible for handling the import and export cargo clearance at the port.

The examination of an intercepted container found 63,16,000 cigarettes. The consignment was seized which was attempted to be smuggled by mis-declaring it as "PP Sports Flooring" material in the import documents, an official said, reported PTI.

A unique modus operandi was adopted by smugglers who declared the consignment containing "sports flooring", reported PTI.

"One of the masterminds has been arrested by the Customs officials and further investigation is underway," the official added.

Meanwhile, Mumbra police in the district has arrested a drug trafficker, a former accused in the 1997 Gulshan Kumar murder case, for possession of mephedrone or MD, an official said on Saturday, reported PTI.

Imtiaz Merchant, who was allegedly held with 60 gm of MD, is the brother of Abdul Rauf Merchant, main convict in the Kumar murder case, said an official, reported PTI.

Imtiaz himself too was an accused in the infamous 1997 murder case of the T-series founder but was acquitted, said senior inspector Anil Shinde of Mumbra police, reported PTI.

He had been allegedly selling drugs in Mumbra and Daighar police station limits for long, the official said, adding that a case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act was registered and further probe was on.

(With inputs from PTI)