Police in Maharashtra's Thane district has seized banned gutka worth Rs 18.9 lakh concealed beneath bags of cattle feed in a tempo, an official said on Tuesday. The tempo was spotted passing through Mankoli bridge at around 2 pm on Monday, Narpoli police station's assistant police inspector V B Bade said.

When the police stopped the tempo on suspicion and checked it, they found gutka stock of different brands hidden beneath bags of cattle feed in the vehicle, he said. The cattle feed worth Rs 53,600 was also seized and the vehicle impounded, the official said.