Banned chewing tobacco products worth Rs. 57L seized from New Osmangunj godown; 1 held

Based on credible information, the team along with the Afzalgunj police raided a godown at New Osmangunj and apprehended D. Chinna Nagaraju for possession and sale of banned chewing tobacco products, Hyderabad police commissioner Anjani Kumar said during a press conference here.

During the raid, the banned tobacco products were seized from Nagaraju, a resident of Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh, he said adding that Nagaraju had started by selling Tees Chap Beedi at different shops in Kurnool town after completing his SSC.

In 2011, Nagaraju was appointed as a distributor by Bharath Beedi Works Private Limited for Hyderabad circle where he used to sell beedis to various dealers and pan shops. Later, he started an agency at Pebbair in Wanaparthy district, Telangana, in the name of Bharath Agencies. In 2017, he visited Delhi and met Naresh, a bulk supplier of tobacco products.

Accordingly, the accused placed orders with Naresh who in turn transported the material to the required destinations, Mr. Anjani Kumar said. After coming to know that the Telangana government had prohibited the sale, distribution, storage, and transportation of chewing tobacco products and to expand his business in Andhra Pradesh and Hyderabad, Nagaraju rented a godown at New Osmangunj. He stored bulk quantities of chewing tobacco products and was supplying the banned tobacco products to shops and others.