The Prohibition Enforcement Wing (PEW) of Erode district arrested five men for smuggling 31.2 kg of ganja.
On Tuesday night, a PEW team conducting a routine vehicle check near Nasiyanur on the Coimbatore–Salem National Highway intercepted a truck carrying tea powder. During inspection, the team discovered ganja hidden among the tea powder packets.
The arrested individuals include Vinayagam (54), Prasanna (37), Podharaja (28) — all from Madurai district — and Thangapandi (48) of Virudhunagar. Based on confessions, police also arrested Rajkumar (32) from Dindigul district, who was reportedly involved in the sale of the contraband.
Investigations revealed that Prasanna and Podharaja purchased the ganja from Pragampur in Odisha and smuggled it concealed in a tea powder truck. The plan was to hand it over to Rajkumar, who would facilitate its sale.
All five accused have been remanded in judicial custody, and further investigations are ongoing.
