Pune, 23 June 2025: The Khadak Police have busted an illegal gutkha smuggling racket that was being run under the cover of a legitimate transport business in the city. Acting on specific information, police arrested two men and seized gutkha worth around ₹2 lakh from a consignment meant to look like ordinary transport cargo.

The arrested accused have been identified as Santosh Ramlakhan Roy (35), a resident of Pirangut and originally from Bihar, and Vishnu Ramratan Gupta (34), a resident of Shantainagar, Marunji. A case has been registered against them based on a complaint filed by Police Constable Ashish Adinath Chavan at the Khadak Police Station.

According to police, they received a tip-off that gutkha was hidden inside goods at Shrinath Transport near Shankarsheth Road. Acting swiftly, a police team led by Senior Police Inspector Shashikant Chavan, Inspector (Crime) Manojkumar Londhe, PSI Mahendra Kamble, and Bharat Borade set up a trap late on Sunday night.

Around 10:45 pm, both accused arrived at the location to collect the concealed gutkha. Police caught them red-handed and confiscated the consignment, which included Mahak Silver Pan Masala and M-1 tobacco products brought from Hubballi. Further investigation is underway to trace the supply chain and other people involved.