Illegal tobacco making unit busted in TN

A unit manufacturing banned tobacco products, including pan masala and gutka, has been busted at Sulur near here, police said today.

Two gunny bags of finished tobacco products and nearly 20 tonnes of raw materials were seized from the godown at the unit last night.

The godown supervisor has been detained for interrogation, they said.

Acting on a tip-off, a police team, along with a Food Safety official and personnel from the Revenue and Prohibition Wing, raided the factory.

The products were dispatched to other districts and states, they said adding that the value of the seized items was not estimated yet.

The manufacture, storage and sale of chewable forms of tobacco, including gutka and pan masala were banned by the Tamil Nadu government in 2013.