The Commissioner’s Task Force and the Penamaluru police jointly conducted raids at Tadepalligudem, Rajamahendravaram and Vijayawada and seized huge quantity of banned gutkha products, worth about ₹ 12 lakh.
Six persons have bene arrested in this connection.
The accused were procuring about 10 brands of gutkha products from Odisha and transporting them through rail and road, said Task Force Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) P. Muralidhar.
Briefing newsmen here on Wednesday, he said that on a tip-off the police raided a godown at Radhanagar under Penamaluru Police Station limits and arrested K. Malleswara Rao and seized some gutkha stocks from his possession. Based on the information provided by him, police took three others — B. Prasad, A. Appa Rao and R. Venkateshwara Rao — natives of Tadepallugudem in West Godavari district and Rajamahendravaram in East Godavari district into custody, the ACP said.
Central Zone ACP N. Satyanandam said that Malleswara Rao was earlier arrested on similar charges. The house owners, who rented houses to the smugglers, were also arrested, he said.
Penamaluru Circle Inspector K. Damodar said the Task Force and the Law and Order police conducted raids on 14 shops to which the arrested persons supplied some stocks. Cases have been booked against the vendors too.
“The modus operandi of the gang is to import gutkha sachets in cartons from Odisha and supply the banned products to the local smugglers in Andhra Pradesh. Two cases are pending against Malleswara Rao,” said Task Force CI R. Suresh Reddy who participated in the raids.
