A team of the Special Task Force (STF) with the help of the Cuttack UPD unearthed a duplicate zarda (tobacco) products unit at Dahapatna under the Baranga police station on Friday night. An accused identified as Nibas Sahoo was arrested.
Spurious zarda and tobacco materials weighing 2.5 quintals were seized from the unit. The cost of the seized materials is said to be around Rs 8 lakh. The raid was conducted based on an intelligence input regarding the manufacture, sale and storage of duplicate zarda items.
"A case under Indian Penal Code sections- 379, 411, 417, 420 and section 20 of Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (COTPA) Act, 2003 has been registered in this regard and further investigation is underway,” said a police official.
The Commissionerate police have intensified raids against adulterated food and other FMCG units in the twin cities of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar.