Chennai: A routine vehicle check during a traffic jam led to the seizure of near 10 tonnes of banned chewable tobacco products worth Rs 20 lakh from two mini lorries near Tambaram on Perungalathur highway in the wee hours of Wednesday. Three people were arrested and the two trucks with gutka were seized, police said.
To thwart the illegal transportation of gutka and other tobacco products, a special team of Pallikaranai police was keeping a close watch during the vehicle checkup on Venkateswara fourth cross street on Tuesday night.
During the raid, the officials stopped a mini truck on suspicion of transporting illegal products. On searching the vehicle, many cartoons of gutka, MBM, hans and other tobacco products were found. Another mini truck was also found transporting the products from Karnataka to various parts of the city.
Police seized two mini trucks with over 10 tonnes of gutka products worth Rs 20 lakh. M.Prakash( 24) of Thiruvallur Nagar in Pallikaranai, J.Noor Mohammed (22) of Urapakkam and Pawan Kumar (22) of Tiruvannamalai were arrested.
Also, police learned that Munuswamy is the kingpin behind transporting such tobacco items to various parts in the city.
Pallikaranai police arrested the trio and remanded them. A manhunt has been launched for Munuswamy.
