Rajkot, August 30: Gujarat’s Rajkot police have uncovered an illegal tobacco manufacturing unit on Kuwadwa Road, leading to the arrest of two brothers. The Special Operations Group (SOG) conducted the raid on August 27 after receiving a tip-off.
The operation targeted a warehouse named ‘Hiren Perfumery Works’ located in Chauhan Wadi, Street Number 11, Lati Plot. Hiren Sonaji (51) and his brother Raju Sonaji (49) were found producing counterfeit tobacco without any necessary licenses or documentation related to food and beverage.
Authorities reported that the duo was manufacturing tobacco for sale to various retailers in Rajkot. During the raid, police seized tobacco packets, empty containers, packaging materials, raw materials, chemicals, and machinery used for production and packing.
The confiscated items included 54 golden-colored 500-gram tobacco packets valued at ₹10,800, 57 black 500-gram packets worth ₹11,400, 10 silver-colored 200-gram packets priced at ₹2,000, and 22 silver-colored 500-gram packets valued at ₹4,400.
Additionally, SOG seized a blue barrel containing 40.5 kilograms of tobacco worth ₹16,200 and another barrel filled with approximately 150 liters of light liquid paraffin oil valued at ₹22,500. Seven aluminum containers weighing around 26 kilograms, filled with various fragrant liquids worth ₹39,000, were also recovered.
The equipment confiscated included a grinder, an electric mixer for blending tobacco and chemicals, a machine for packing tobacco and mouth fresheners into small containers, and two electric machines for packing plastic bags.
Police also recovered hundreds of empty containers and packaging materials, including boxes and bags labeled with names like ‘Himson Hiramoti,’ ‘Sugam Tobacco 1030,’ and ‘Hiren Perfumery Works.’ Among the seized items were 288 small plastic bottles labeled ‘Hiren P-Jaan Flavor,’ a digital weighing machine, four kilograms of loose tobacco, two mobile phones, and a bill book containing entries from April 18 to August 21, 2026.
Authorities estimated the total value of the seized goods at ₹172,770. The operation was supervised by SOG police inspector N.B. Chaudhary, along with ASI Arunbhai Bambhaniya, Siddharthraj Singh Jadeja, and other SOG personnel.
Initial investigations were conducted by Samir Joshi, an FSL officer from the Rajkot Municipal Corporation’s Health Department, and K.J. Sarvaiya, a food safety officer. Legal actions regarding the illegal production and sale of counterfeit tobacco are underway.
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