ADILABAD: A consignment of gutka worth lakhs of rupees was seized during a raid at Chinthaguda near Kagaznagar railway station in Kumrambheem-Asifabad district on Thursday. A team of police officials headed by Deputy Superintendent of Police Balu Swamy conducted the raid based on a tip-off.
The gutka, which was to be transported to Mancherial and other districts, was being stored in a bunker built in a brick kiln. The accused selected this particular hiding spot as it was easy to store the product thereafter being brought from the train station. The seized gutka was transported in three tractors to the police station. A case has been filed.
Even though the Telangana government has banned gutka and other tobacco products, it is still being illegally transported to districts like erstwhile Adilabad from Karnataka and Maharashtra. In many places, this is being done in collusion with police officials. The smugglers select a few points in the borders of Adilabad, Nirmal and Kurmabheem districts and transport the banned product in trucks to shops in the districts. The shops openly sell the products but the police turn a blind eye to the issue as they get mamools from the smugglers.