Coimbatore: The police have seized banned gutkha, tobacco and other drugs worth Rs 1 crore from a godown in Vadakkancheri area near Palakkad and arrested three persons.
Coimbatore: Some people have taken their farmlands on lease and are cultivating ginger in Chittilamssery near Vadakkanchery near Palakkad on the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border. Sudevan, a resident of Mangalam Dam, is also involved in this.
He allegedly had pesticides, seeds and equipment required for the cultivation of ginger in his rented building.
Based on a tip-off received by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in this regard, Alathur, Kollamkode and Palakkad police officials coordinated and conducted intensive searches in Chittilamssery areas adjacent to Vadakkancheri.
Sudevan, a resident of Mangalamdem, raided a rented building on a leased plot and found that 336 gunny bags containing gutkha packets that could be sold for Rs 1 crore were stored.
Officials arrested Sudevan (41) of Mangalam Dam, Ranjith (27) and Manoj (30) from Idukki district in connection with the case.
During interrogation, they revealed that they were hiding gutka items under the loads of garlic bags purchased from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka and smuggling them to Kerala and selling them at a higher price.
They also claimed that if gutkha products purchased from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka for Rs 30 lakh were sold at a higher price in Kerala, they could generate a revenue of Rs 1 crore.
The police, led by Alathur excise inspector Jayaprakash, produced the three in court and sent them to jail. The gutkha items seized from them were also handed over to the Alathur police.