Nilgiris police intensify vehicle checks along T.N.-Karnataka border to curb smuggling of banned tobacco products

The seized lorry, with banned tobacco products in the Nilgiris
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The Nilgiris district police have stepped up vigilance at border check-posts, and have intensified checking of heavy vehicles after the seizure of around 3.5 tonnes of banned tobacco products at the Kakkanallah check post along the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka interstate border recently.

According to the police, a vehicle check on a lorry, carried out on Tuesday, February 13, led to the seizure of 3,434 kilograms of banned tobacco products worth an estimated ₹26.4 lakh. The driver of the vehicle, identified as V. Ramesh, 46, from Palakkad, Kerala was arrested and remanded to judicial custody while the lorry has also been seized.

Police officials said they were also continuing their investigations into the distribution networks used to sell the banned products within the Nilgiris.

They also said vehicle checking has been intensified at all border check-posts across the Nilgiris, including check-posts along the Tamil Nadu and Kerala interstate borders.

“We are also raiding shops which are selling banned tobacco products in the Nilgiris and are taking strict action against sellers, with many sellers facing serious penalties,” said an official from the Nilgiris district police.

The police are conducting regular checks on shops across the district’s major towns and are also using informer networks to clampdown on illegal sellers, officials added.