CHIDAMBARAM : Chidambaram Police on Saturday arrested a kingpin accused of being the wholesale dealer for gutka and pan masala products throughout the State, in Chennai.
Despite ban, the sale of gutka and pan masala products has been rampant and it is alleged that the products are available at many shops in the district.
In this backdrop, a police team headed by ASP NS Nisha conducted a surprise raid at a godown at Omakulam in Chidambaram on July 12. The team seized 1,650 kilogram of gutka and pan masala products and arrested Muhammad Maidheen (50) of Kothavaal Street in Chidambaram.
Based on the information given by Muhammad Maidheen, police devised a plan to arrest kingpin Gowthamraj (29), who allegedly supplies gutka and pan masala to godowns across the State. Gowthamraj is a resident of Vepery High Road in Chennai.
Following the instructions from Cuddalore SP C Vijayakumar, a special police team led by inspector K Ambethkar arrested Gowthamraj in Chennai. “We couldn’t find anything after raiding Gowthamraj’s godown at Sowcarpet in Chennai. However, we arrested him from the locality,” said a police officer.