Thane, Aug 1 (PTI) In a crackdown on the sale and transportation of banned food products, police have arrested two individuals with a consignment of illegal pan masala and chewing tobacco products worth more than Rs 20 lakh in Navi Mumbai, an official said on Friday.
The accused, against whom a First Information Report (FIR) has been filed, were apprehended in Navi Mumbai’s Rabale area while transporting the banned products in a small commercial pickup truck, he said.
According to an official release issued by the police, the FIR was registered on August 1 under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) along with the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
Acting on a complaint lodged by Food Safety Officer Indrajeet Narayan Chilwante, police on July 31 intercepted two individuals — Prabhunath Vedvyas Pandey and Asif Mohammad Aftab Sheikh — in the Gothvali Gaon Kaman area while transporting the banned goods, said the release.
They seized banned products worth Rs 20,40,000 from the vehicle. Both Pandey and Sheikh were placed under arrest, while police have launched a search for two more suspects — Shankar Anna and Anil Shinde — believed to be key players in the distribution network of these banned products, it said.
“An investigation is underway. We are probing the source and intended distribution of these illegal products. Further legal action will be initiated based on the evidence collected,” the release stated.
The crackdown comes amid heightened efforts by Maharashtra authorities to curb the circulation of harmful and banned food substances, particularly gutkha and flavoured chewing tobacco, which have been linked to severe health hazards, including oral cancer.
As per the Food Safety and Standards Act, manufacturing, storing, transporting, or selling banned food items is a criminal offence and the accused, on conviction, may face heavy penalties and also imprisonment. PTI COR RSY
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