Urban Police takes up special drive on banned tobacco products sales in Temple city

Tirupati: Tirupati Urban Police District has taken up special drive over banned tobacco products sales in the city from Tuesday. For many days petty shop owners are selling banned tobacco products Gutka and pan unofficially on large scale in the city. Banned tobacco products were being transported by the few gangs from Bengaluru to Tirupati and Similarly, cannabis crushed powder was also uninterruptedly smuggled by the few gangs from Visakhapatnam to Tirupati city. It may be noted that recently Tirupati Police caught 500 kg of cannabis bags worth Rs 1 crore above and arrested five persons including a lady member.

In the backdrop Urban SP A Ramesh Reddy initiated the campaign against the sales of banned tobacco products and usage of drugs as well as spitting in public areas. On this issue SP focused seriously and started counseling to petty shop owners who were involved in sales of banned tobacco products Gutka and pan across the city.

SP launched an awareness programme to shop owners and he is giving counseling to petty shop owners at various traffic junctions and main areas where the chances for sales of banned tobacco products. He is advising them not to sell tobacco products with this spitting habit will be increased. Due to spitting there is a chance to spread coronavirus. In the circumstance shop owners should be responsible to prevent such type of bad practices which would lead to the spread deadly disease Corona.

On Tuesday Ramesh Reddy roamed the city by walk from Alipri Garuda circle to Bus Stand via KT road. During the inspection SP has interacted with many shop owners and the public on this issue. He gave counseling to sellers that if any shop owner violates the rules they are liable for punishment.

And also SP instructed all the sub division police to conduct continuous raids on illegal stock points of banned tobacco products where those were placed in hideouts at city outskirts. In addition, special branch police put their surveillance on cannabis transporters who were involved in dangerous drugs sales. There gathering more inputs on this illegal activity.

In this connection SP Ramesh Reddy said that " we don't allow anyone to violate the rules in temple city , as per the Government of India rules Gutka and pan as well as drugs usage and sales were banned. Hence we cannot tolerate the criminals who involve such type of illegal tobacco products transportation as well as drugs like cannabis crushed powder smuggling to the city.