Gutkha worth Rs 36.59 lakh was seized and three people were arrested by Palghar police in the early hours of Saturday. Palghar Superintendent of Police Manjunath Singe said that the gutkha was being brought from Gujarat in three vehicles which were intercepted by police at Sasoon Navghar within Waliv police station limits.

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He added that 92 cartons of the banned substance were recovered from the three vehicles. The police identified the three arrested as Nasrealam alias Guddu Rajiahmed Shaikh, Munna Yamuddin Khan and Sayeed Rashid Abdul.

Officials said that the confiscated gutkha was handed over to the Food and Drug Adminisistration which will take measures to destroy it, said officials.