COIMBATORE: The CID wing of Narcotic Intelligence Bureau (NIB) booked a case against two persons for smuggling 500 kg of ganja worth around Rs 50 lakh from Andhra Pradesh in an ambulance. One of them was arrested on Tuesday evening near Udumalai in Tirupur district and the sleuths confiscated the entire consignment.
According to sources, the NIB-CID in Coimbatore had received information on Monday about ganja being smuggled in an ambulance from Andhra Pradesh to Tirupur for sale in Kerala. The smugglers were said to be people from Udumalpet. Hence, vigil was strengthened on roads leading to Udumalpet. The ganja-laden ambulance was stopped for a vehicle check near Udumalpet fire station.
A Karuppasamy (30) of Kollanpattarai in Udumalpet, who was at the wheel, escaped after being stopped by the sleuths. M Arunkumar (23) of Sangili Nadar Street in Udumalpet, who was still in the ambulance, was arrested. The ambulance had 300 kg ganja. Based on the information provided by Arunkumar, the sleuths recovered another 200 kg from Karuppasamy's house. The ambulance was also seized.
They had separated the load and decided to take it out in two instalments after they sensed that vehicle inspection had been stepped up around Udumalpet.
Followed the seizure, NIB-CID team booked a case against the duo under the various sections of the Narcotics, Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act on Tuesday. A team has been formed to nab Karuppasamy.
Meanwhile, Arunkumar reportedly confessed that they had acquired the ganja from Andhra Pradesh and used an ambulance to avoid being detected. They had used the same modus operandi to smuggle the goods to various places.