Hinjilicut: Hinjili police busted a tobacco products smuggling racket by seizing a consignment worth Rs 50 lakh and arresting four persons from a pick-up van on National Highway-59 near Pochilima Sunday, a report said Monday.
The accused were identified as E. Rajeshwar Patra of Kuthari Sahi in Berhampur and the kingpin of the racket, and his accomplices B Rajendra Reddy of Chakrapani Nagar of Aska, Muna Jena of Tota Bandha Sahi of Old Berhampur and van driver Kahna Swain.
This was stated here by Hinjili IIC Prasant Kumar Sahu at a press meet Monday.
A pick-up van, 210 sacks of gutkha, two quintals of betel nuts, four sacks of mawa masala, 12 sacks of other tobacco products, 30 bundles of polythene sheets and six sacks of labels were seized from the van. A case was registered and the accused were produced in court, police said.
A police team intercepted the pick-up van driven at great speed and verified the consignment loaded on its carriage.
The van was on its way from Berhampur to Aska. Police detained the driver and two others and questioned them in this connection. The trio confessed that they were smuggling the tobacco products to various parts of Ganjam and Kandhmal districts at the behest of Rajeshwar Patra of Kuthari Sahi in Berhampur.
Later, Hinjili police raided the Kuthari Sahi residence of Patra and arrested him while seizing a huge consignment from the spot.
Earlier, Hinjili police had made similar raids at Palasi (May 28) and at Dayapalli (July 21) and had seized huge consignments of tobacco products from two illegal tobacco manufacturing units. Some arrests were also made during the raids. PNN
