Mumbai, Sep 19 (PTI) The Maharashtra Food and Drugs Administration on Saturday said it has seized prohibited gutkha worth Rs 1.13 crore and had asked the police if the stringent MCOCA can be slapped against the accused.
According to the FDA, acting on a confidential information, action was initiated at 2 pm on Friday to trace a truck transporting prohibited gutkha.
The truck was reportedly coming from Madhya Pradesh through the Samruddhi Expressway towards Bhiwandi in Thane. However, it was found that the truck had changed its planned route and was proceeding towards Pune via Sangamner, it said.
As soon as the change in route was noticed, teams of the Food and Drug Administration were immediately deployed on the possible routes. The Thane Division team was deployed towards Murbad, while the Pune Division team was deployed at Rajgurunagar.
At the Rajgurunagar Toll Plaza, Food Safety Officer Laxmikant Savale attempted to stop the truck by positioning a vehicle across its path. However, the driver did not stop and continued driving the truck ahead, the FDA said.
Savale continued pursuing the truck and intercepted it at Chakan-Talegaon Chowk with the assistance of the local police.
“After a pursuit lasting approximately six hours, the truck was taken into custody at around 8 pm. Upon inspection of the truck, various brands of pan masala and flavoured tobacco (gutkha), prohibited in Maharashtra, were found. The total value of the seized material is Rs 1,13,54,600. The entire material was subsequently seized by the Food Safety Officer,” an official said.
After completion of the seizure procedure, the process of taking legal action against the concerned persons continued until late at night.
At 10 pm on Saturday, the Food Safety Officer, Pune, registered a complaint at Chakan police station in Pimpri-Chinchwad against the concerned persons under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Those arrested included driver Nafis Mehboob Khan (40), a resident of Haryana, Nilesh Rathi, resident of Khamgaon, Buldhana (owner/supplier), Arun Patil, resident of Jalgaon (owner/supplier) and Sanjay Mata, resident of Indore (transporter).
Prima facie, this incident appears not merely to be a violation of food safety law but an organised and continuous illegal trade that poses a risk to public health, the FDA said.
“Therefore, the Food and Drug Administration has requested the police to examine the previous criminal records of the accused, the supply chain and financial transactions, and, if they are found guilty, to submit a proposal to the competent authorities for stringent action under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA),” the FDA said. PTI PR BNM
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