Coimbatore
Acting on a tip-off, a police team led by Saravanampatti Inspector Selvaraj carried out a vehicle check at a check post on the Coimbatore-Sakthy Road. Then, the cops intercepted a load van and an inspection revealed the presence of a huge quantity of gutkha products in several sacks in the vehicle.
Inquiries with the duo, identified as Sethuram (42) from Telungupalayam and Motilal (38) from Somanur, both native of Rajasthan, revealed that they were smuggling the banned tobacco products from Bengaluru. Based on their information, the police conducted a search in a godown at Moperipalayam near Karumathampatty here and seized banned tobacco products worth about Rs 75 lakh.
The police said that the duo had stocked up the contraband for supplying in Coimbatore, Tirupur, and Erode, and even to neighbouring Kerala. The duo was subsequently produced in court and remanded to judicial custody. They were then lodged in Coimbatore Central Prison. Further investigations are on.
In a similar seizure, officials of the Food Safety department raided shops in Sundarapuram and Vysial Street here and seized banned tobacco products estimated to be worth Rs 65,000, on Friday.
Visit news.dtnext.in to explore our interactive epaper!
Download the DT Next app for more exciting features!
Click here for iOS
Click here for Android