2,350 kg of gutkha seized from godown in Coimbatore

Acting on a tip-off, police team led by Annur station inspector Venkadesan, raided a godown owned by Santhakumar, 38, at Balaji Garden and seized the huge contraband. 

Police said that Santhakumar had rented out his godown four months ago to two persons, identified as Patturajan from Ganapathy and Thangasingh from Saravanampatty to store grocery items.

“They had initially stocked grocery items and the godown owner claims ignorance of the gutkha consignment. A search is on to nab the duo,” police said. 

Following the raid, police seized 2,250 kilogram of banned tobacco products worth nearly Rs 14 lakh. The police also seized a car and a two-wheeler that was used to supply tobacco items in shops. The Annur police have registered a case and further inquiries are on. 

In a similar raid, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) officials seized 88 kilogram of banned tobacco products from two grocery shops, in Salem district. 

A team of FSSAI staff inspected a shop, where the owner, Eswaran, had stocked around 82 kilogram of gutkha in gunny bags in a secret chamber at his shop, in Dadagapatti. The FSSAI officials sealed the shop. In another raid, in Annadanapatty, the FSSAI officials seized six kilogram of banned tobacco items.