Ahmedabad Rural SOG seizes banned Chinese manja worth ₹2 crore, illegal factory sealed

The Special Operations Group (SOG) of Ahmedabad Rural Police has seized banned Chinese kite string and related materials worth ₹2.34 crore in a coordinated crackdown spanning multiple districts and sealed an illegal manufacturing unit in Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

On December 22, the action followed an investigation into the seizure of Chinese kite string within the limits of Sanand police station before the Uttarayan. Acting on the leads, the SOG traced a wider network involved in the illegal manufacture, storage and distribution of Chinese kite string (synthetic nylon-coated manja), which is prohibited due to safety and environmental concerns.

Police said the crackdown was carried out after senior officials had issued strict instructions to curb the production, sale and use of banned Chinese kite string, lanterns and synthetic non-biodegradable thread in the district.

As part of the operation, SOG teams seized 1,872 reels of banned Chinese kite string packed in 39 boxes, valued at ₹7.48 lakh, from a farmhouse in Ranmalgarh village under Sanand police station limits. Legal action was taken against Amaratbhai Rabari and others linked to the stored consignment.

In a separate action at Ganesh Cotton Pressing Factory on Bavla–Adroda Road, police seized banned Chinese string worth ₹12.91 lakh from Samirsha Nabirsha Sultansha Fakir, a resident of Bavla. He was booked under relevant legal provisions.

Another seizure was made near Vatman Chowkdi in the Koth police station area, where banned Chinese string worth ₹9.60 lakh was recovered along with a mobile phone and an Eicher vehicle, taking the total value of seized assets to ₹12.15 lakh. Two persons — Irfan Hussainbhai Bloch and Sameer Yusuf Parmar, both residents of Chitravad village in Gir Somnath district — were arrested in this case.

In Anand district, police arrested Rasidsha alias Bhurio Mehbubsha Diwan and seized 672 reels of banned Chinese kite string worth ₹2.01 lakh from the Anand Town police station area.

During the investigation, police identified Virenkumar Babubhai Patel, a resident of Vapi, as a key supplier who allegedly distributed the banned material to various locations. He is currently absconding, police said.

Further leads took the SOG to Vandana Industries in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, where an illegal unit manufacturing synthetic Chinese kite string was found operating. With the assistance of local police, the factory was sealed. Police seized 43,192 reels of Chinese string worth around ₹1.5 crore, along with machinery and raw materials valued at approximately ₹50 lakh. The total seizure from the unit was estimated at ₹2 crore.

Officials said that separate cases have been registered at police stations in Sanand, Bavla, Koth, Anand Town and Dadra and Nagar Haveli under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and other applicable laws.

Overall, the SOG seized around 55,000 reels of banned Chinese kite string and other assets, including machinery, vehicles and mobile phones, with the total value of the haul pegged at ₹2.34 crore.

Further investigation is under way to trace remaining links in the supply chain and apprehend the absconding accused.