Thoothukudi: Beedi leaves worth ₹40 lakh seized; smuggling bid foiled

Police in Thoothukudi seized 44 bundles of beedi leaves valued at ₹40 lakh, foiling a smuggling attempt to Sri Lanka. The contraband was found in a van near Thermal Nagar beach based on a tip-off. The suspects fled the scene.

Q Branch Police seized 44 bundles of beedi leaves worth approximately ₹40 lakh near Thermal Nagar beach in Thoothukudi during the early hours of Friday, police said.

Patrol Operation Following Tip-off

Police personnel conducted a patrol operation based on a secret tip-off received by Q Branch Inspector Vijay Anitha that beedi leaves were being smuggled to Sri Lanka from an area under the Thermal Nagar Police Station limits in Thoothukudi city subdivision of Thoothukudi district. Following the information, Assistant Inspector Ramachandran, Special Assistant Inspector Ramar, Head Constables Irudhayarajkumar and Isakkimuthu, along with Constables Palani, Balamurugan and Pechi Raja, carried out the patrol duty in the area, according to a release.

Contraband Seized from Van

At around 3.00 am today, they checked a suspicious van, which was parked about 200 meters away from the Thermal Nagar Police Station on the road leading to the Thermal Nagar beach. Upon inspection, the police found 44 bundles of beedi leaves weighing around 30 kg each, which had been brought there to be smuggled to Sri Lanka by boat.

Suspects Flee, Probe On

The suspects reportedly fled from the spot after seeing the police. The seized beedi leaf bundles and the vehicle are to be handed over to the Customs Department for further action. The international market value of the seized beedi leaves is estimated to be around ₹40 lakh. Further investigation into the incident is underway.

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