Two arrested for smuggling 338 kg of tobacco products near Coimbatore

COIMBATORE: Annur police in Coimbatore district arrested a pickup van driver and a loadman on Tuesday for smuggling 338 kg of banned tobacco products in the early hours of Tuesday.

The arrested men have been identified as pickup van driver N Parthiban, 35, of Meenampalayam and loadman S Balasubramaniam, 28, of Thudiyalur.

A team from Annur police station conducted a vehicle check in Dharmaraja Kovil Street at Annur in the early hours of Tuesday. On seeing police, the driver tried to take a u-turn. However, the police team managed to stop the vehicle and found a load of rice bran. They removed some bags of rice bran and found 338 kg of banned tobacco products.

Pickup van driver Parthiban and loadman Balasubramaniam were taken to the police station along with the vehicle.

Parthiban told the police that someone from Mangaluru in Karnataka had handed over the contraband to him to sell it to various grocery shops at a higher price. However, police registered a case against the duo and arrested them.

Police seized 338 kg of tobacco products worth Rs 2.50 lakh and the pickup van from them.

The duo were remanded in judicial custody.