CHENNAI: The city police arrested a close associate of history sheeter Vellakali of Madurai for allegedly smuggling ganja from Andhra Pradesh.

He was apprehended at the Perambur railway station, and about 4 kg of ganja was seized.

The Triplicane Prohibition and Enforcement Wing (PEW) received a tip-off about the movement of narcotics, after which a team intercepted the suspect, identified as Karthik.

During interrogation, he disclosed that he was associated with Vellaikkali, a history-sheeter currently lodged in Puzhal Prison. Karthik was produced before a magistrate and remanded in judicial custody.

Vellakali was in the news earlier this year when a rival gang hurled country bombs at a police escort team accompanying the gangster when the police vehicle halted at Perambalur. Days later, the main suspect behind the hurling of country bombs was shot dead by the police.

In another case, the police arrested three men who were caught smuggling banned oral tobacco products. About 1,605 kg of gutkha products were seized from the vehicle.

Police sources said that a seizure was made on Wednesday during vehicle check on Pallavaram-Thoraipakkam radial road. The three arrested men are identified as Ramarajan (37), Nandakumar (38) and Subham (19).