In a significant crackdown on drug smuggling, the district police in Cuddalore arrested nine men and seized 23 kg of ganja, allegedly purchased from Andhra Pradesh. The contraband was found stored near an abandoned building close to the M Pudur TB hospital. The police also confiscated two motorcycles and seven mobile phones from the suspects.
The operation was conducted under the direction of Cuddalore Superintendent of Police S Jeyakumar. A team led by Cuddalore Sub-Divisional DSP M S Ruban Kumar and the Thirupathiripuliyur police carried out the operation as part of efforts to curb drug smuggling in the region. The suspects were arrested and identified as:
R Shivaji alias Shivaji Ganesan (19) of Thiruvandipuram
V Chandru alias Chandrasekar (29) from Mogappair West, Chennai (residing in Trichy)
V Anand (22) of Panruti
L Surya alias Vijay (21) of Kondur
S Eli alias Vignesh (22)
S Thol alias Suryapratap (21)
K Ari alias Aravind (23) of Thiruvandipuram
N Gundupala alias Akash (19) of Arisiperiankuppam
M Karthi alias Karthikeyan (20) of Sivanagar, Cuddalore
During interrogation, Shivaji admitted that the group was involved in ganja peddling. The suspects pooled their resources and purchased the drugs from Andhra Pradesh for distribution. The police revealed that Shivaji and Chandrasekar traveled to Narasayyapet in Anakapalli district a week prior, where they bought 23 kg of ganja from E Pradeep, a man from Keerapatti village in Usilampatti taluk (Madurai district).
The drugs were stored in the area for distribution when the police apprehended the suspects. Cuddalore SP Jeyakumar commended the police team for their swift action and successful operation.
In a separate operation on Saturday, the railway police seized 24 kilograms of banned tobacco products—including gutkha and pan masala—at Chidambaram Railway Station. The contraband, valued at Rs 7,968, was discovered during an inspection of the Bhubaneswar–Rameswaram train. The unclaimed parcels were handed over to the Chidambaram Food Safety Officer for further action.
Both operations highlight the ongoing efforts by local authorities to tackle drug trafficking and contraband smuggling in the region.
