Scented tobacco, paan masala worth Rs 31lakh seized

GONDIA: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Bhandara, officials have seized around 6,000 pouches of various types of scented tobacco and paan masala worth Rs 31 lakh at Deori check post on Chhattisgarh-Maharashtra border. Two four-wheelers in which the material was being smuggled have been seized too.
Acting on a tip off, officer of Department of Food and Drugs (DFD) Pravin Upam stationed his team at the check post on Tuesday evening.They stopped a four-wheeler on suspicion and seized 4,850 pouches of scented tobacco and Pan Parag, worth around Rs26.80 lakh. Driver Khushal Mirani (35), a resident of village Ghadi Chowk Raipin, was arrested.
After some time they checked another four-wheeler and seized about 1,300 pouches containing scented tobacco worth Rs4.04 lakh. Driver Sadik Aarif Sheikh of village Bistola (Desaiganj) was arrested.
Deori police have registered offence of smuggling. PI Pawar is investigating further.
two four wheelers containing about six thousand pouches of various types of scented Tobacco and Panparag on Deori's Check post on Chattisgarh -Maharashtra border on Tuesaday the 22nd April 2014. The estimated cost this material could be around 31 lacks of rupees.
It may recalled that there is ban on the scented types of Gutkhas and tobacco in Maharashtra ,but it is not so in the adjacent states like Chattisgarh, M.P. and Andhra Pradesh. So it is very convenient for the smugglers of these producted to be brought in theGondiadistrict. On Tuesday the 22nd April 2014, the officer in Department of Food and Drugs (D.F.D.) Bhandara Pravin Upam received a secret information that two vehicles containing huge quantity of these prodects are going to cross the border any moment. So he immediately laid ambush near R.T.O. check post near Deori.
At about 5-30 in evening they saw one suspicious ISAHA car No. M.P./04/GM/6432 crossing the border. Immediately after its entry in the district it was stopped and when checked it was found to contain about 4850 pouches of scented tobacco and Pan Panparag ,the estimated cost of these pouches was around 26.80 lacks of rupees. Offence has been registered against the driver Khushal Mirani (35) residentof village Ghadi Chowk Raipin Deori police station under various sections . The vehicle along with the product has been seized and the driver arrested.
Immediately after this incident they saw yet another Vehicle Swaraj Mazha no Mh/33/4348 . When this vehicle was checked it was found to contain about 13 hundred tins containing scented tobacco . they were seized ,the estimated cost of which isound 4.04 lack rupees. The offence against the driver of this vehicle Sadik Aarif Sheikh of village Bistola, (Desaigang ) under various sections . he along withg the vehicle and product has been arrested.
The Deori police have registered offence of smuggling of banned product in the district,wortr rupees 30,84,000 and P.I. Pawar is investigating into the matter.