Bhadrak/Jaleswar: Acting on a tip-off, Bhadrak police busted another fake chewing tobacco (zarda) manufacturing unit at Chhadak Mahala area under Puruna Bazaar police limits in the district late Friday night.
Police said, a huge quantity of fake tobacco products of various reputed brands, chemicals and packaging materials and machines worth over Rs 2 lakh were seized during the raid. The busting of the unit confirmed Bhadrak is fast turning into a big manufacturing hub of fake tobacco products.
Police officials said the raid was conducted based on intelligence inputs. However, the accused managed to flee the scene during the raid.
In a separate incident, a team of special task force of police seized two quintals of fake zarda during a raid at Jaleswar in Balasore district. Two persons were also detained in this connection.
Notably, police had busted several illegal tobacco manufacturing units in Bhadrak district in past. A huge cache of fake tobacco products was seized by Bhadrak police following a raid at Mathasahi area, October 25, last year.
The raid had come a day after a police team and some journalists were attacked by the residents during a raid on a fake tobacco manufacturing unit at Holasahi.
Earlier, Puruna Bazaar police had raided a fake zarda manufacturing factory at Pathan Mohalla area and had seized consignment worth Rs 2 lakh during the crackdown, October 6.
In past, a team of Puruna Bazar police had raided two illegal tobacco manufacturing units at Chandan Nagar and Sarkar Nagar and seized huge consignment of raw materials used to prepare spurious zarda, August 2018.
PNN