CALANGUTE: To curb illegal sale of tobacco products in Calangute, the local police conducted a drive wherein one shop at Baga and another at Candolim were raided.
Police also arrested Mohammed Mubarak Khan (29), a native of Raipur in Chattisgarh and Rabi Khan (19), a native of Banda, Uttar Pradesh, for selling tobacco products.
The value of tobacco products seized in the raid is worth Rs 13,000 and 12,000, respectively. Besides, cigarettes worth Rs 10,000 without any statutory health warning were attached during the raids.
Both the raids were conducted by LPSI Pramila Fernandes and Sapna Gawas under the supervision of PI Jivba Dalvi. The police have booked both the offenders under Section 87(f) of Prohibition of Goa Public Health Amendment Act, 2005.
Meanwhile, Calangute PI Jivba Dalvi informed that there has been a steep increase in Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) cases.
So far this year, the Calangute police have booked 1,980 cases for sale of illegal tobacco products and collected a fine of Rs 3,96,000.
He said that in 2017, 1,942 cases were booked and Rs 3,88,400 was collected. During the same period, the Calangute police fined maximum number of restaurants and establishments for not displaying appropriate ‘No Smoking’ sign boards.
