Rly police seize over 1,000 kg of banned tobacco in last 8 months

The slew of seizures of banned tobacco substances made at various railway stations by the Government Railway Police (GRP), Tiruchi, in its vast jurisdiction is an indication of the persisting offence.
In the latest incident, a GRP team seized a little over 26 kg of gutkha that was found concealed in an abandoned sack and a shoulder bag placed below a seat inside a general coach of the Hazrat Nizamuddin – Kanyakumari superfast express after the train reached the Tiruchi railway junction on the night of September 22.
Interestingly, a GRP team had seized about 31 kg of banned tobacco substances kept in three shoulder bags placed below a seat inside the general coach of the same inter-State train a few days earlier. In both instances, there were no claimants for the contraband which made its way into the State illegally.
In yet another instance reported early this month, a GRP team had seized 21 kg of banned gutkha from a general compartment of the Hyderabad – Kanyakumari express train after it arrived at the Tiruchi railway junction. There was no claimant for the consignment.The GRP, Tiruchi, has a huge jurisdiction covering Tiruchi, Madurai and Tirunelveli sub divisions. According to data provided by the GRP, the railway police teams had seized a little over 1,220 kg of gutkha at various stations falling under the three subdivisions from January to August this year. The seizures were made at Tiruchi, Dindigul, Madurai, Virudhunagar, Tirunelveli, Nagercoil, Thoothukudi, Karaikudi and Thanjavur stations among others in the last eight months of this year.In Tamil Nadu, there is a ban on manufacture, storage, distribution and sale of gutkha, pan masala containing tobacco and nicotine as ingredients.