Illegal Gutkha worth Rs 19 lakh caught by Crime Branch

Aurangabad:

A team of the Crime Branch raided and caught three people while they were unloading the stock of banned Gutkha and aromatic pan masala from a four-wheeler. The operation was carried out at Mahunagar (Satara area) around 10:45 pm on Tuesday. Crime branch PI Avinash Aghav informed that stock of illegal gutkha worth Rs 19.86 lakhs was seized from the culprits.

The accused have been identified as Irfan Rashid Khan (Silkmill Colony), Syed Sohail Syed Mahmud (Kaiser Colony) and Mohammad Wasim Mohammad Hussain (Amrai, Beed Bypass). The accused were produced in court on Wednesday after registering a case in Satara police station. Judicial agistrate Shahid Sajidujjumau sent the acused in police custody till November 18.

According to police, API Dnyaneshwar Avghad had received the information that the stock of illegal Gutkha would be unloaded from a vehicle. Accordingly, a team laid a trap. A four-wheeler (MH-20-EG-4717) was raided while unloading a stock of gutkha and aromatic pan masala at a house. Gutkha worth Rs 19.86 lakh was seized from the vehicle and the house. Police naik Manoj Chavan lodged a complaint in Satara police station. Avghad is further investigating the case.