Maharashtra FDA seizes gutkha worth Rs 1.13 crore after six-hour chase
The Maharashtra Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) on Saturday said it had seized prohibited gutkha worth Rs 1.13 crore and asked the police to examine whether the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) could be invoked against the accused.
The action followed a six-hour pursuit of a truck that was allegedly transporting the banned products towards Maharashtra. The FDA said the vehicle, which was initially believed to be headed to Bhiwandi in Thane from Madhya Pradesh through the Samruddhi Expressway, changed its route and moved towards Pune via Sangamner.
According to the FDA, the operation began at 2 pm on Friday after it received confidential information about the truck. Once the route change was noticed, FDA teams were deployed on the possible routes. The Thane division team was sent towards Murbad, while the Pune division team was stationed at Rajgurunagar.
At the Rajgurunagar toll plaza, Food Safety Officer Laxmikant Savale tried to stop the truck by placing a vehicle across its path. However, the driver did not stop and drove on, the FDA said. Savale continued chasing the truck and, with the help of local police, intercepted it at Chakan-Talegaon Chowk.
"After a pursuit lasting approximately six hours, the truck was taken into custody at around 8 pm. Upon inspection of the truck, various brands of pan masala and flavoured tobacco (gutkha), prohibited in Maharashtra, were found. The total value of the seized material is Rs 1,13,54,600. The entire material was subsequently seized by the Food Safety Officer," an official said.
The FDA said the legal process continued late into the night after the seizure. At 10 pm on Saturday, the Food Safety Officer, Pune, lodged a complaint at Chakan police station in Pimpri-Chinchwad under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Those arrested were identified as driver Nafis Mehboob Khan, 40, a resident of Haryana; Nilesh Rathi of Khamgaon in Buldhana, described as an owner or supplier; Arun Patil of Jalgaon, also described as an owner or supplier; and Sanjay Mata of Indore, the transporter.
The FDA said the case appeared, prima facie, to be more than a food safety violation and pointed to an organised and continuing illegal trade that posed a risk to public health.
"Therefore, the Food and Drug Administration has requested the police to examine the previous criminal records of the accused, the supply chain and financial transactions, and, if they are found guilty, to submit a proposal to the competent authorities for stringent action under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA)," it said. - EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Sep 19, 2026 23:43 IST
