Salem: Banned gutka products worth Rs 3.5 lakh have been seized from two different places in the city in as many operations separately lead by food safety officials and police.
According to an official source, district designated food safety officer S Mariappan got a tip that banned gutka items were being sold in a grocery shop at Suramangalam area in the city and conducted a raid at the shop.
During the search, officials came across a small wooden door affixed to a wall. “Shop owner Thallsharam, 42, had hidden the door by stocking soft drink bottles in front it,” Mariappan said.
When the officials opened the door, they found banned gutka items worth Rs 1 lakh in the secret room. The officials seized all the banned gutka products and sent samples for lab test.
“We will initiate stern action against the grocery shop owner after getting the lab test report,” Mariappan said. The officials also sealed the grocery shop.
In another instance, the Suramangalam police, who were on a vehicle check at the toll plaza near Omalur on Salem-Bengaluru National Highway, seized banned gutka products worth Rs 2.5 lakh from two omni buses.
“We got a tip that banned gutka items were being smuggled to Salem from Bengaluru in private omni buses,” said P K Senthil Kumar, inspector of police, Suramangalam police station.
Cops searched two omni buses at the toll plaza and found 18 bundles of gutka products from the vehicles. Police seized the contraband and detained the omni bus drivers for smuggling banned gutka items in their buses.
“We have registered a case and inquiries are on,” an investigation official said.
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