Rs 17 Crore Hashish Oil Seized En Route to Maldives, Four Arrested in Tamil Nadu

Police have seized hashish oil worth Rs 17 crore in Tuticorin and arrested four men who allegedly planned to smuggle the contraband to the Maldives, officials said on Tuesday.

Acting on specific intelligence about the movement of narcotics, a specialised police team intercepted the consignment at Poobalarayerpuram in Tuticorin. The four accused, all residents of Tuticorin, were taken into custody during the operation.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the high-value consignment was allegedly transported by car from Coimbatore to Tuticorin on Monday, police said. The suspects were reportedly preparing to use a boat to transport the illicit substance across the sea to the Maldives.

Police seized the hashish oil along with the vehicle allegedly used to carry the contraband. A case has been registered against the accused under relevant provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

The seizure is part of a crackdown on the movement of narcotics through the coastal region and suspected international trafficking networks. Investigators are now questioning the arrested men to establish the source of the hashish oil in Coimbatore and determine how the consignment was arranged for onward transportation.

Police are also attempting to identify alleged members of an international drug trafficking network who were reportedly waiting to receive the consignment in the Maldives.

Officials said further investigation is underway to establish the roles of the accused and identify other persons involved in the alleged smuggling operation.

The seizure assumes significance as investigators probe the possible use of the Tamil Nadu coast as a route for transporting narcotics to destinations outside India. Police are examining the logistics involved in moving the consignment from Coimbatore to Tuticorin and the planned sea route to the Maldives.