Pune: The Anti-Narcotics Cell of the Pune Crime Branch arrested two individuals involved in the illegal storage and sale of gutkha, a product banned by the Maharashtra state government.

The action took place in Pune’s Rasta Peth area, where authorities seized banned products worth ₹10.84 lakh.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Mudassar Ilyas Bagwan, aged 40, a resident of Bhagyodayanagar, Kondhwa, and Anwar Sharafuddin Shaikh, aged 38, also from Kondhwa.

Both have been booked under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) as well as the Food Safety and Standards Act at the Samarth Police Station.

The state of Maharashtra has imposed a strict ban on the sale, distribution, and transportation of gutkha and other tobacco products deemed harmful under its public health policy.

Despite the ban, several illicit networks continue to operate within the state, and this recent crackdown by the Crime Branch is part of ongoing efforts to curb the illegal trade.

Police officials stated that a special team led by Police Inspector Sudarshan Gaikwad and Assistant Inspector Nitinkumar Naik was conducting a routine patrol in the Rasta Peth area when they received a tip-off about a significant stash of gutkha stored in a local residential society.

Acting swiftly, the team set up a trap and successfully apprehended the two accused. Upon searching the location, the police recovered gutkha and paan masala worth ₹10.84 lakh.

The operation was conducted under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Nikhil Pingale, with a team comprising officers Sudarshan Gaikwad, Nitinkumar Naik, Azad Patil, Yogesh Mandrare, Chetan Gaikwad, Sandeep Jadhav, and Uday Rakshe.