Coimbatore: Two people were arrested in Tirupur in as many separate incidents on Saturday for possession of 300kg banned tobacco products worth Rs 6 lakh.
It is to be noted that Tirupur city police commissioner G Karthikeyan had earlier formed a special team to crack down on the illegal sale of gutka.
The team arrested Y Jebasingh Philip, 37, a native of Nanguneri in Tirunelveli district, for stocking 269kg banned tobacco products at his rental house at VGV Garden on Kangeyam Road in Tirupur, where he was residing along with his family.
They also conducted a surprise check at a grocery shop that falls under the Tirupur South police station limits and seized 31kg gukta on the day. The grocery shop owner, V Dhinakaran, 42, a native of Alangulam in Tenkasi district, was also arrested. A police source said Dhinakaran was residing at Cheran Colony at K Chettipalayam along with his family.
“The duo told us that they used to smuggle tobacco products into the city from Erode in trucks. They were remanded in judicial custody,” the source said.
Police said parcel services firms would lose their licences, if they were found handling tobacco products. “We will also cancel the licences of grocery shops that sell gutka.”