Pune, 5th December 2025: The Pune Police Crime Branch raided big illegal gutkha manufacturing unit in Loni Kalbhor early on Thursday and seized nearly ₹1 crore worth of fake RMD gutkha, scented tobacco, and raw materials.
The raid was conducted around 5 am at a warehouse in Kambale Vasti near Theur Phata, where the gang had been operating under the radar for months.
According to police, the factory was producing counterfeit RMD gutkha, Vimal pan masala, and other tobacco products using chemicals, flavouring agents, artificial supari, rosewater, printed packets, boxes, and packaging sacks.
Officers also found additional stock hidden in a nearby field. The suspects had specially modified vehicles to transport the products without drawing attention during checks.
The Crime Branch has arrested the unit owner, Rohit Durgaprasad Gupta (25), along with workers Ramprasad alias Bapu Prjapati (50), Appu Sushil Sonkar (46), and Danish Musakeen Khan (18). The main accused Sumit Gupta, who managed the warehouse, fled before the police arrived and remains absconding.
The operation was carried out under the supervision of Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar, Joint Commissioner Ranjankumar Sharma, Additional CP (Crime) Pankaj Deshmukh, DCP Nikhil Pingale, and ACP Rajendra Mulik. The raid team included officers from the Anti-Narcotics Squad led by Police Inspector Sudarshan Gaikwad.
Police said the action is part of an ongoing crackdown on illegal tobacco manufacturing networks operating on the outskirts of Pune.