Three arrested near Pallipalayam for smuggling 700kg of gutkha worth Rs7 lakh

Namakkal: Police seized 700kg of banned tobacco products worth Rs 7 lakh near Pallipalayam in Namakkal district on Saturday and arrested three men for smuggling the gutka.The arrested have been identified as Manikandan, 35, Sathishkumar, 27, and Ranjith, 27, all from Dharmapuri district. They were apprehended after a police team intensified vehicle checks in Alampalayam, after Pallipalayam deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Gauthaman, received a tip-off on illegal transportation of banned tobacco substances from Karnataka. During the surveillance, police spotted a speeding cargo van and signalled it to stop. However, the driver sped past the checkpoint without halting, prompting police to give chase and intercept the vehicle a short distance away. On inspecting the van, police recovered the banned gutka products from it. Police also seized the cargo van which was used to smuggle the gutka. Preliminary investigation revealed that the contraband was smuggled from Karnataka and was intended for distribution across various regions, including Bhavani, Erode, Salem and Namakkal.All three accused were produced before the Kumarapalayam court and were remanded to the Salem Central Prison.