In a continued crackdown on banned tobacco products, Puri Police seized gutkha worth over Rs 1.5 lakh on Wednesday and arrested a shopkeeper for allegedly selling the prohibited items illegally.
The action was carried out by Baseli Sahi police station as part of a sustained drive against the unlawful sale and distribution of gutkha. The arrested individual has been identified as Ramchandra Malu of Jagannath Nagar in Narendra Kona. Police registered a suo motu case and confiscated the contraband items along with other materials from his possession.
Apart from Baseli Sahi, police teams conducted raids on several retail and wholesale gutkha outlets across different police station limits in Puri city. A substantial quantity of banned tobacco products was seized during the operation.
The crackdown continued for two consecutive days, with illegal gutkha being recovered from the Kumbharapada and Baseli Sahi areas. Authorities stated that such enforcement drives will continue to curb the illegal trade.
It may be recalled that the Odisha government imposed a complete ban on the sale of gutkha in 2013 due to severe public health concerns, including cancer risks associated with tobacco consumption. Despite the prohibition and strict legal provisions, the banned product continues to be sold illegally in several parts of the state.
The Puri Superintendent of Police has directed officials to ensure that the sale of gutkha in the city is stopped at the earliest, reinforcing the administration’s zero-tolerance stance against the illegal tobacco trade.
