THOOTHUKUDI: In a predawn search at the Vellapatti Beach on Monday, Coastal Security Group (CSG) personnel seized Rs 2.5-crore-worth painkiller tablets and Rs 50-lakh-worth beedi leaves, allegedly intended to be smuggled to Sri Lanka via sea.
Sources said when a police team, led by Inspector M Petchimuthu, during a vehicle inspection in the wee hours of Monday along the Vellapatti-Tharuvaikulam Road, asked a truck to pull over, the driver and the occupants allegedly fled.
A subsequent inspection revealed that the truck was loaded with nine bundles of painkiller tablets and 72 bundles, each containing 35 kg of beedi leaves. The police seized the contraband and the truck, and have initiated a search for the suspects.
The consignment has been handed over to Customs officials, who registered an FIR against the truck owner, driver, and a few other suspects.
So far this year, the CSG has foiled nine attempts to smuggle beedi leaves, turmeric, cigarettes, drugs, and other contrabands to Sri Lanka.