Despite ban, gutkha sellers have their way in Hyderabad

Sellers find new ways to carry out their lucrative business

Hyderabad: With the police swooping down on pan shops and general stores selling tobacco products like gutkha and illegally imported foreign cigarettes, the sellers are finding new ways to carry out their lucrative business.

In the latest modus operandi, elderly persons are now found selling the contraband at auto rickshaw stands, labour addas and desolate spots near the pan shops to the gutkha addicts. Moreover, the price of the gutkha is increased with a sachet being sold for Rs 5 each as against Rs 3 previously, while a few brands are sold for Rs 8 each.

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Usually the city reports good sales of K 9000, RR Gutkha and Sagar among others. “Although the gutkha sale was banned by the authorities it has been continuing surreptitiously. Even during the lockdown, tobacco products were sold across the city. Now with the police clamping down, sellers are adopting newer ways as it involve huge money,” explained Fareed Ahmed, a pan shop owner at Chandrayangutta.

In the last few days the special teams of the Telangana police along with the local police have been carrying out raids at godown of wholesale suppliers of gutkha and retailers like pan shops and local grocery stores. The police seized tobacco products worth crores of rupees in last fortnight and the police action is expected to continue.

“After suffering losses due to the police action, most of the pan shop owners stopped selling it. However, few persons are sourcing it from shop keepers and selling it at auto rickshaw stands, labour addas and some points away from the pan shops or hotels,” said Zeeshan, a street corner shop owner.

The shop keepers say unless the supply of the contraband into the city is stopped, the sale will continue in some or the other way. “People are ready to pay more money to buy a gutkha pouch while some are eager to take risk in hope of making huge money by selling it,” explained Zeeshan.

When contacted an official of the Hyderabad Police said that during the lockdown, they had caught few persons who were selling gutkha near pan shop. The accused had concealed the pouches in two wheelers and selling only to regular customers. “We are aware of the new trend and are keeping a watch at places where we suspect people will try to do such adventures,” he said.

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