LCB busts fake tobacco making unit in Veltur
22 Nov 2022 08:29:49
Staff Reporter
A fake tobacco manufacturing unit was busted and three persons were arrested for making duplicate zarda products in Veltur near Saoner.
The raiding party seized 347 kgs of raw tobacco worth Rs 16.22 lakh during the action, officials said. The police also seized empty tin boxes of tobacco, packing machine, empty tobacco pouch, weighing machine, electric stamp machine and other material. The racket was operated by Durgesh Vijay Agrawal (31), a resident of Old Mankapur.
He went absconding after the police action, the official said. Acting on a tip-off, the police team raided the unit in a farm owned by one Shivaji Vath. The cops noticed labourers packing bogus tobacco in original tin boxes and a particular company. Investigation revealed that Agrawal was purchasing the empty tin boxes of the scented tobacco company from Paan Shops and filling the raw tobacco in it. Electric machines were used for packing of the boxes, the official said.
The arrested labourers were identified Anand Balaji Wadichar (53), a resident of Durga Nagar, Chhota Pulia, Kalamna; Rakesh Rameshwar Ninave (32), a resident of Dahegaon Rangair and Vijay Prabhakar Dumre (46), a resident of Bharatwada Road, Pardi. An offence under Sections 188, 272, 273, 328 of Indian Penal Code read with provisions of Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act was registered against the accused persons at Khapa police station.
Under the guidance of Superintendent of Police Vishal Anand, Addl SP Dr Sandip Pakhale, the arrest was made by PI LCB Omprakash Kokate, API Rajiv Karmalwar and staff including Rajendra Rewatkar, Roshan Kale, Ashish Mungale, Kishore Wankhede and Umesh Fulbel.