521kg gutka seized in Madurai, two from Rajasthan held

Madurai: Madurai district police seized 521kg of banned tobacco product gutka and arrested two men from Rajasthan during a vehicle check near Kottampatti in the early hours of Thursday.Police intercepted an Innova car around 3.30am following a tip-off about contraband being transported through the area under Kottampatti police station limits in Melur subdivision.The arrested men were identified as Vikram Kumar, 28, and Kisan, 25, both natives of Rajasthan’s Jalore district.Investigators found that the vehicle was displaying a Rajasthan registration number while its original registration was from Tamil Nadu. A search led to the recovery of 521kg of gutka allegedly being transported illegally from Bengaluru into Tamil Nadu.Police also seized the vehicle used for transportation and three mobile phones. A case has been registered at Kottampatti police station and further investigation is under way.Madurai superintendent of police B K Arvind warned of strict action against those involved in the smuggling and sale of narcotic and banned tobacco products.