In a major catch, the Cyberabad police confiscated huge quantity of banned tobacco products worth ₹ 50 lakh after intercepting 11 vehicles between RC Puram and Chandanagar police station limits here on Wednesday.
The officials seized 883 cartons containing gutka packets of various brands including RR, Amber, Miraj, Sagar and Baba Zarda. Nineteen persons, who were using cars for smuggling the gutka from Bidar in Karnataka, were arrested by police.
Acting on a tip-off, the Special Operations Team of Shamshabad zone, who kept a close surveillance on the latest practice of smuggling the banned product through personal vehicles from Karnataka, nabbed the accused during the wee hours of Wednesday, said P Viswa Prasad, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Madhapur zone of Cyberabad.
Due to continuous pressure from police on the illegal gutka stock points in the city and other parts of the State, the tobacco manufacturers and sellers shifted their base to neighbouring Karnataka.
Mr. Prasad said apart from Hyderabad, people from from other parts of the State, involved in the tobacco business, are also going to Bidar to get the products and sell the same in their towns.
Four of the arrested persons are natives of Bidar, three are from erstwhile Karimnagar district, two are residents of Zaheerabad, while others are residents of Hyderabad. Mr. Prasad said that two gutka retailers from Bidar — Indur Chalia and Pavan Chalia — were selling the contraband to the accused.
