The police seized banned tobacco products worth ₹17 lakh weighing about 1.25 tonne and arrested three persons on Wednesday.
When a special team, led by Sub-Inspector of Police, Thoothukudi North Police Station, was conducting vehicle check at State Bank Colony on Wednesday, they intercepted a scooter.
As the rider, who was identified later as P. Prithviraj, 22, of Krishnarajapuram, was carrying 2,600 banned tobacco products in two bags, he was picked up for interrogation.
Prithviraj told the police that he was taking the tobacco product from a godown at nearby Kurinji Nagar. The police raided the godown immediately and seized 2,44,958 packets of banned tobacco products, weighing about 1.25 tonne and worth ₹17,17,376.
The police arrested S. Maharajan, 36, of Kurinji Nagar and M. Solaiyappan, 33, of Krishnarajapuram in this connection. The duo told the police that they had brought the tobacco products from North India to be sold here.
The police seized a lorry, three cars and a scooter for using the vehicles to smuggle the contraband. Mr. Jayakumar, who visited the godown said the police, who have intensified vehicle check and raids in suspected places to weed-out drug abuse, would act tough against those who sell ganja or banned tobacco products.
Deputy Superintendent of Police, Thoothukudi, Ganesh, Inspector of Police, Thoothukudi North S. Arul were present.
Meanwhile, the police seized four tonnes of banned tobacco products stocked illegally in a broiler unit at Aththiyooththu near Alangulam in Tenkasi district. On getting information, the Alangulam police raided the broiler unit, owned by one Jayakumar, son of a retired Deputy Superintendent of Police, on Thursday and seized the contraband.
The hunt is on to nab Jayakumar. In a similar raid in a godown near Kadayanallur, the police seized two tonnes of banned tobacco products on Thursday.