Two shopkeepers were arrested in Thane city after police and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials seized banned gutka, tobacco products, and blended paan masala worth Rs 27,470 from their outlets in the Diva area, an official from Mumbra police station reported on Thursday. The raids, conducted on July 14 at a grocery shop and a paan stall, targeted illegal stocks of these substances, which have been prohibited in Maharashtra since 2012 due to health risks like oral cancer.

During interrogation, the shopkeepers failed to produce valid purchase receipts for the contraband, leading to their arrest on July 15. They face charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 274 (adulteration of food or drink), 275 (sale of noxious food or drink), and 123 (causing hurt by poison with intent to commit an offence), alongside violations of the Food Safety and Standards Act.

The operation reflects ongoing efforts to curb the illegal trade of gutka and tobacco, with authorities intensifying surveillance in the Mumbai-Thane belt to enforce the ban and protect public health.

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