Hanging it like shampoo sachets or snack packets, banned chewable tobacco, also known as gutka, has been openly sold in Adilabad for years, but, of late the small town in the northern part of Telangana has become a hub for its illegal transportation as well.
Gutka is available in almost all paan and kirana shops in the town with huge bulk of supplies coming in from Karnataka and parts of Maharashtra, which is later transported to Nirmal, Nizamabad, Asifabad, Peddapalli and Karimnagar districts and other places in north Telangana.
Locals maintain that a couple of ‘illegal’ traders are using Adilabad as a base to smuggle the contraband to various parts of North Telangana. The Andhra Pradesh government has implemented a ban on gutka since 2013 in view of public health. The ban is enforced by the State Food and Drug Administration, and the local police.
“It is a well-oiled network and police are aware of their activities, but very little effort is made to curb it,” said a police officer on condition of anonymity.
He said that two or three influential families, which make at least ₹30-35 lakh worth of business each day, are dominating the entire market with one having a major partnership in an illegal gutka manufacturing company in Hyderabad
“We know where the gutka is stored and how the channel operates, but hardly raid any. Recently, a huge quantity of tobacco was seized from a farmhouse on the outskirts of the town. It is just the tip of the iceberg and happens once in a while,” the officer said, adding that most of the activity happens in I Town police station limits, which mostly comprises older parts of Adilabad, once a sleepy town.
Local sources said only petty and small traders were often booked, while the ‘big fish’ were let off the hook.
“There appeared to be a complexity between law enforcing agencies and the illegal gutka traders. One can easily notice that the business is thriving here,” he said.
“Even during the lockdown there was no shortage in supply, as the products smuggled and stored here is very huge. I hope the police, who are well aware of the network, will take action for the sake of public safety,” the 52-year-old local businessman said.
