Bhubaneswar, Feb. 19 -- In a continued crackdown on banned tobacco products, Puri police has seized gutkha worth over Rs 1.5 lakh on Wednesday and arrested a shopkeeper for allegedly selling the items illegally. The action was carried out by Baseli Sahi police station as part of an ongoing drive against the unlawful trade.

The arrested shopkeeper has been identified as Ramchandra Malu of Jagannath Nagar in Narendra Kona. Police said a case was registered suo motu and the contraband items, along with other materials, were confiscated from his possession.

Apart from the Baseli Sahi, police conducted raids on several retail and wholesale gutkha outlets in different police station areas of Puri city. A large quantity of gutkha was seized du...