215kg gutkha products seized, one held

Police seize 215 kg of gutkha from smuggler's car in Erode, leading to arrest and confiscation of contraband.

The police on Monday night seized 215 kg of gutkha products from a car parked at Palayapalayam in the city and arrested a man on charges of smuggling.

Dinesh Irudhaiya Raj, 37, a resident of Sudanandan Nagar, had parked three cars on a vacant plot in front of his house. As the vehicles had remained unused for several days, a suspicious unidentified individual alerted the police.

The Prohibition Enforcement Wing (PEW) inspected one of the vehicles and discovered the gutka products. The Food Safety Department and Erode South police were subsequently informed. Officials from both departments inspected the car and seized the contraband.

Investigations revealed that Dinesh had smuggled the gutka from Bengaluru and was distributing it locally. Of the three cars, two were unused, while one was actively used for smuggling operations.

Dinesh Irudhaiya Raj was arrested, and the banned products were confiscated.