In a daring late-night sting, Powai Police have struck a major blow against illegal tobacco product traffickers. Two trucks packed with Gutkha, a banned substance in Maharashtra, were intercepted on Saki Vihar Road.
The operation unfolded at 10:25 PM, when Assistant Police Inspector (API) Santosh Kamble and his crack Crime Detection Team spotted two suspicious trucks. Their instincts proved correct – upon inspection, the vehicles were found to be hauling a massive stash of Gutkha and Panmasala, contraband worth a staggering Rs 66 lakh on the black market.
“We received a tip that a large shipment of Gutkha was headed our area, despite the state-wide ban. Our team was ready. When we stopped the trucks, we found them packed to the brim with the illegal tobacco products,” said API Kamble.
The drivers, Ashok Tambe (34) of Beed and Someshwar Faleria (32) of Bhiwandi, were taken into custody. “The suspects claim they were simply hired to transport the cargo. They don’t know where it was headed, or where it came from. We’re working to track down the masterminds behind this operation,” a senior police officer told Avartan Powai.
The seized trucks were part of a larger scheme to evade the ban on Gutkha and other dangerous tobacco products. “The plan was to unload the cargo and transfer it to other vehicles,” police added. “But we foiled their plans, and now we’re on the hunt for their accomplices,” told senior Police Inspector Jitendra Sonavane.
The Powai Police’s bold action sends a clear message: traffickers of illegal and dangerous substances will be caught and brought to justice. The war on Gutkha and other banned tobacco products continues, with law enforcement one-step ahead of the criminals.
No comments yet.