Koraput: Police unearthed a fake gutkha (chewing tobacco) manufacturing unit in Jeypore here on Monday night.

Acting on a tip-off, a team from Jeypore Town police station raided a building at Dongaguda on the outskirts of Jeypore and detained the house owner K. Srinivas for further interrogation.

The team also seized huge quantities of gutkha products apart from raw materials and packaging machines.

"We were tipped-off about the illegal unit and conducted a raid. However, the accused persons managed to escape. A case has been registered and an investigation is on," said inspector in charge of Town police station Piyus Ranjan Chottray.

The illegal unit functioned from a rented house for the past month and several people were involved in it, the cop said.

"After preparing the guthka, they packaged it under the name of renowned brands and supplied those in and outside the district," said Chottray.

The police said a tractor-load of guthka worth several thousands, raw materials and two packaging machines were seized during the raid.

"During interrogation, the house owner revealed that Prasanna Kumar Sahu and Sunil Kumar Sahu had taken the house on rent to establish a snack making unit."

"We have intimated the Jeypore Municipality health officer for necessary action."

Local residents said though they were aware of the factory's existence, they had no information that it made fake gutkha and other tobacco products.

"We were under the impression that the unit manufactured and dealt in genuine products," said a resident of the village.