Pimpri-Chinchwad police have arrested 251 suspects including racketeer, supplier and distributor by confiscating banned gutkha and pan masala worth Rs 8.7 crore in 161 cases of seizure since January 2020.
Pimpri-Chinchwad Police Commissioner Krishna Prakash said, “We have seen that most of the gutkha and pan masala comes from Gujarat and Karnataka, where it is not banned. This situation makes the ban difficult to enforce. We will continue to be vigilant and take action against racketeers and distributors.
In 2012, the state government banned the consumption, production, sale, distribution and storage of gutkha, pan masala and other related products in view of several proven health hazards. This The ban was further renewed in 2019. The state police and the Food and Drug Administration have the authority to conduct seizures and raids in relation to gutkha and pan masala.
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While the ban remains in force throughout the state, the level of its enforcement varies widely from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Pimpri-Chinchwad police officials said that when Krishna Prakash took over as the Pimpri-Chinchwad police commissioner, he gave clear instructions to crack down on several types of illegal businesses including storage, transportation and distribution of gutka and pan masala Were. Since then, coordinated action has been taken across the region.
In 2020, the Pimpri-Chinchwad police seized gutkha and pan masala worth Rs 5.15 crore. According to the data shared by the police, similar substances worth Rs 5 lakh and Rs 4 lakh were seized in 2018 and 2019 respectively. Officials said most of the action in 2020 was taken after September. By the end of October this year, gutka worth Rs 3.55 crore has been seized in 111 cases, in which 181 people have been arrested.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Prashant Amritkar said, “The people arrested include distributors, transporters and racketeer behind the trade of these banned products. While the data shared pertains only to the value of the gutka and other products seized, we have also seized several vehicles and other items used by the racketeer in these operations.”
Another senior official said, “The continuous supply of gutka means two things – there is demand and there are many loopholes along the state border where vehicles carrying large quantities of gutka and pan masala are allowed to pass. These products are available at paan shops and small road side shops, which shows that there is a network of distributors. We will continue to take these actions to curb the trade and distribution of banned items.”
In the last few years, the state government has taken two important decisions towards action against gutkha. The first is invoking Section 328 of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with administering or giving a poisonous substance. The second decision is to implement the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA) against gutkha rackets.
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