Mumbai: After using them as godowns to stock and distribute gutka, pan-masala and scented tobacco of various brands, the notorious gutka mafia has now started manufacturing and packaging the banned products using sophisticated machinery in residential buildings. In a major operation, officials from the Thane unit of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in association with their counterparts from the Naya Nagar police station raided one such gutka manufacturing unit that was operating in Mira Road on Monday. The owner was arrested.
The owner of the illegally operating unit has been identified as Sachin Kashid. Along with arresting him, the police also seized a large number of gutka packets, gunny bags stuffed with raw materials, automatic mixtures and packaging machinery, all worth more than Rs 6.34 lakh. Following credible information, an FDA team led by food safety officers Manek Jadhav and Arvind Khadake, under the supervision of assistant commissioner K. N Dabhade, swooped down on a sixth floor apartment above Hotel Jalaja Inn on the Mira-Bhayandar Road and busted the unit.
“As per our information, the unit had started operating just yesterday. We have collected the samples for lab tests,” said Mr Jadhav. An FIR has been registered at the Naya Nagar police station under the relevant sections of the IPC and the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulation, 2011.
Police Sub Inspector R.K. Jadhav is conducting further investigations into the case.
