KURNOOL: A vehicle being used to transport newspaper copies of Telugu daily Andhra Jyothi was seized here for smuggling a huge quantity of banned gutka (chewing tobacco) pouches in it. The incident happened near here on Monday. The vehicle was intercepted and seized by the Bommalsatram police.

According to Bommalasatram Inspector Divakar Reddy, the ‘Toofan van’ is being operated by one Virabrahmendra Chari of Kurnool to transport copies of Andhra Jyothi everyday to various parts of the district. In this process, he entered into a nexus with Subbaiah, a gutka seller of Kurnool, to smuggle the banned substance to various parts of the district.

On Monday too, Chari set out for Nandyal with two big bagfuls of gutka pouches concealed under the bundles of Andhra Jyothi newspaper copies. Around the same time, a team of police led by DSP Chidananda Reddy and Inspector Divakar Reddy was carrying out a thorough check and inspection of vehicles at the Autonagar centre. Spotting the police team, Chari tried to give them a slip by diverting the vehicle towards Poluru village.

But to Chari’s misfortune, sub-inspector Timma Reddy noticed this and gave him a hot chase before eventually apprehending him. During the subsequent questioning, Chari confessed to gutka smuggling and told the police that he was transporting the consignment to one Nagendrababu.

The police seized the vehicle and arrested the accused before registering a case in this regard.