Ramanathapuram
The Rameswaram Customs Preventive Unit (CPU) has seized 25 bundles of Tendu leaves, used to wrap beedis, the poor man’s cigarette, found washed ashore on Kunthukal seashore near Pamban in the early hours of Wednesday.
On information by the local people and alert by V. Rajkumar Moses, Assistant Commissioner, Customs, Ramanathapuram division, a team, led by Pugazhendi, Superintendent, CPU, Rameswaram, seized the leaves found scattered in the Kunthukal coast at around 5.45 a.m.
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Preliminary investigation suggested that the leaf bundles were being smuggled to Sri Lanka on a boat and the boatman might have thrown the contraband into the sea after his contact from Sri Lanka failed to turn up at the designated point on the high seas.
As the boatman could not return to the shore with the contraband and could not afford to remain in the sea, he might have dumped the bundles in the sea, M. Muniasamy, Superintendent of Customs, said. The smugglers could have procured the leaf bundles from Kerala, he said.
The CPU has registered a case under section 102 of Cr PC (a police officer may seize any property which may be suspected to have been stolen or found under circumstances which create suspicion of commission of any offence) and investigating. No one was arrested.
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The Marine police of the Coastal Security Group (CSC) and the CPU, Rameswaram, had seized 32 bundles of beedi leaves found washed ashore on Kunthukal seashore near Akkalmadam and Danushkodi seashore in August last year. The personnel had seized the bundles after waiting for nearly two hours as the bundles washed ashore in batches.