Rajkot
The Special Operations Group (SOG) of Rajkot City Police has busted an alleged illegal unit manufacturing and storing duplicate tobacco at a godown on Kuwadva Road. Two brothers were detained in connection with the operation, and police seized tobacco products, raw materials, chemicals, packaging material and machinery worth Rs 1.72 lakh.
The raid was conducted on August 27 at “Hiren Perfumery Works” in Chauhan Wadi, Street No. 11, Lati Plot, following confidential information. Police identified the detained men as Hiren Soneji, 51, and his brother Raju Soneji, 49. Officials alleged that the brothers were manufacturing duplicate tobacco products without supporting documents or a required food-related licence.
According to police, the products were allegedly prepared for sale to different retailers in Rajkot. During the raid, officers found several varieties of packed tobacco, along with empty containers, boxes, plastic bags and other packaging materials. Some of the packaging reportedly carried names such as “Himson Hiramoti”, “Sugam Tobacco 1030” and “Hiren Perfumery Works”.
The seized material also included 40.5 kg of tobacco, around 150 litres of light liquid paraffin oil and about 26 kg of perfumed liquid substances. Police also recovered loose tobacco, hundreds of empty containers, 288 small plastic bottles marked “Hiren P-Jan Flavour”, a digital weighing scale, two mobile phones and a bill book containing entries from April 18 to August 21.
Police further seized a grinder, a motor-operated mixer, a packing machine and two machines used for packing plastic bags. The total value of the seized property was assessed at Rs 1,72,770. Officials from the Forensic Science Laboratory and Rajkot Municipal Corporation’s health department assisted in examining the seized material.
The SOG operation was conducted under the supervision of Police Inspector N.B. Chaudhary, along with other officers and personnel. Further legal action is being taken over the alleged illegal manufacture and sale of duplicate tobacco products.