THOOTHUKUDI: Thoothukudi Q Branch sleuths seized 1.25 tonnes of beedi leaves at Tharuvaikulam beach on Wednesday. According to sources, they received a tip-off that a group of men were smuggling beedi leaves to Sri Lanka.
"The smugglers came to know that the police were on their trail and drove their boat into the deep sea. However, the sleuths were waiting to nab them. Some of the smugglers jumped into the sea to escape police clutches," said sources. A video of the incident has gone viral on social media.
Meanwhile, as the sleuths at the beach left, another set of smugglers came to the spot with a consignment of beedi leaves. The sleuths returned to the shore and chased the smugglers, who managed to escape leaving the bundles of beedi leaves and the truck on the shore. As many as 40 bags of beedi leaves, weighing 1.25 tonnes, were seized. A case has been registered and further investigation is on.