Hyderabad: In a major haul, the city police caught three persons who were instrumental in manufacturing ‘gutka’ on a large scale.

The police seized gutka worth Rs 3.6 crore from them. Acting on a tip-off, the Task Force (south) team and Chandrayangutta police raided a gutka manufacturing unit at Ismailnagar in Bandlaguda. The police apprehended Shujath Ali Khan, 48, a resident of Mallepally; Khaja Saleemuddin, 46, from Humayunnagar and Mohammed Raheemuddin, 37, from Moin Bagh.





“To avoid suspicion, the trio had engaged close to 60 workers from Uttar Pradesh. The material used in preparing the gutka was being brought in from Maharashtra,” said Hyderabad police commissioner, V. V. Srinivas Rao.
The trio was preparing the contraband for the last two months. They were transporting it via various modes across the city and state.

“So far, we have come to know that they were sending it to shops in the city.
Further investigations will have to be done for us to avail more details,” the commissioner of police said.

The police seized several bags of gutka with brand names like Aadat and Petrol.The accused persons along with the seized material were handed over to the Chandrayangutta police for further investigation.