Trader held for smuggling gutka in Mancherial

Mancherial: Two traders were booked and one of them was arrested by sleuths of the task force for allegedly smuggling banned gutka in Luxettipet and Jannaram mandal centre on Friday. Another trader is absconding. About 300 packets of the gutka valued at Rs one lakh were seized from them.

Task Force Inspector AK Mahender said that the accused were Utturi Chandrasekhar, a trader of Luxettipet town and Erra Naresh from Jannaram mandal headquarters. Erra Naresh is still at large.

Both Chandrasekhar and Naresh were found to have stored bags containing the gutka packets in their warehouses when the sleuths conducted raids on their shops following a tip off. A search was launched to nab the trader. Stringent action would be taken against those who trade the prohibited products. A Preventive Detention Act would be invoked against habitual offenders, Mahender warned.

Sub-Inspector Lachanna and staffer Sampath took part in the operation.