Police seize banned tobacco products worth ₹3 cr.
In one of the largest crackdowns on illegal tobacco in central Kerala, the Chalakudy police have seized banned tobacco products worth over ₹3 crore during 'Operation D-Hunt.' The seizure, amounting to 3,62,750 packets of illegal products, marks the biggest haul of its kind in the region.
The operation was initiated following a tip-off received by Thrissur Rural District Police Chief B. Krishnakumar. A team led by Chalakudy DySP Biju Kumar carried out a vehicle check within the Chalakudy police station limits. The team intercepted a truck, where it discovered nearly 500 sacks of banned tobacco products concealed among boxes labelled as biscuit packets.
The driver of the vehicle, Abdul Manaf, 41, a native of Melakkam in Manjeri, Malappuram, was arrested. The vehicle used to transport the products was also taken into police custody.
According to police sources, the banned tobacco products were intended for distribution across Kerala, from Chalakudy to Kollam. Manufactured in northern India, the items were believed to have been purchased for around ₹10 per packet and illegally sold in the Kerala market for upwards of ₹100, indicating a highly lucrative black-market operation.
The accused has been remanded in judicial custody, and further investigation is under way to trace the broader supply network and those behind the distribution chain.
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