The city police unearthed two gutkha manufacturing units at Rushikonda area and arrested 10 persons, here on Saturday. The police also found that the gang has been procuring ganja from interior areas of Visakhapatnam Agency and selling it in packets to youngsters and students at Rushikonda and other parts of the city at higher rates.
The police have seized various types of gutkha and other raw material used for preparing it in huge quantity, machinery, packing bags and printing machines, covers etc, all together valued at around ₹45 lakh. About 81 kg ganja was also seized from them.
The main accused in the case, Sampath Kumar of Odisha and Pedababu of Srikakulam district, are yet be nabbed. All the 10 arrested have been identified as workers in the two units.
Speaking to the media, Police Commissioner R.K. Meena said that both Sampath Kumar and Pedababu have hired 10 skilled workers, including six from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, for manufacturing gutkha, with the help of whom they have been running the units by taking individual houses at Pedda Rushikonda and Chinna Rushikonda on rent.
“The workers have procured the machinery from Odisha and Bihar, while raw materials were purchased from Visakhapatnam and Odisha.
In 2016, the kingpins took the individual house at Pedda Rushikonda and two months ago, they have rented another house at Chinna Rushikonda,” said Mr. Meena. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone I) S. Ranga Reddy said that the gang secretly sold the gutkha packets to various shops at high rates and ganja to youth, mostly at nights.
‘Adulterated products’
According to police, all the gutkha products which were being manufactured were spurious ones that had popular brand names. The accused have been procuring duplicate/fake covers of various gutkha brands from Odisha.
