COIMBATORE: Around half a tonne of banned tobacco products was seized from a cross-utility vehicle after it was involved in an accident near Sundarapuram on Tuesday morning. The car capsized after hitting the median on Coimbatore - Pollachi main road.
Two persons who allegedly were in the car abandoned the vehicle. Sundarapuram police who seized the vehicle and the contraband began an inquiry. According to police, the speeding vehicle bearing a Kanchipuram district registration number rammed an electric pole on the median close to the Gandhi Nagar junction around 8 am as the driver allegedly lost control due to rash driving. After the accident, two persons escaped from the place and locals alerted Sundarapuram police.
Upon inspecting the vehicle, police found 450 kg of contraband stuffed in the gunny bags inside. “The persons might have smuggled the banned tobacco products to the city through Pollachi. The vehicle might have gotten into an accident due to overload and over speed. We have seized the car and the contraband and are trying to trace the suspects,” said a police officer.