Gutkha worth 7.23 lakh seized; Two held

Warangal: The Task Force police have arrested two persons and seized 40 bags of banned tobacco products worth of Rs 7.23 lakh. According Task Force ACP Venkata Ramana Reddy, the task force personnel on Sunday evening hours raided the house of Thummala Ashok of John Peerilu village in Geesugonda mandal in the district and seized gutkha and other tobacco products from his house.

During the interrogation, the accused stated that a trader called Thatikonda Srinivas, native of Kesamudram in erstwhile Warangal district now lives at Balkampet in Hyderabad, has supplied the tobacco products to him.

Following which the police also arrested Srinivas. The accused disclosed that he used to produce the tobacco products from Thatikonda Sunil of Shiva Nagar in Warangal and Eshwar, Rajavaram village in Bhupalpally district.  

After completing due formalities, the accused along with seized property were handed over to Gesugonda police on Monday for further action, the ACP said. Inspectors L Ramesh and others were present.