The Ernakulam Rural police seized banned tobacco products worth ₹2 crore from a godown at Vallam near Perumbavoor.
The seizure was made under the ongoing ‘Operation Clean’ primarily targeting drugs and tobacco products. A special team led by the Additional Superintendent (Ernakulam Rural) carried out the raid based on a tip-off received by District Police Chief (Ernakulam Rural) Vaibhav Saxena.
Tobacco products were allegedly hidden in around 400 sacks at a godown owned by Ayub Khan of Thiruvananthapuram. Reportedly, Abdul Aziz of Vallam was entrusted to operate it, while another identified as Subair had taken the godown on lease. The tobacco products were reportedly disguised as stock for a plastic company.
The godown had been under the surveillance of the special team for a while. Tobacco products were reportedly delivered at the godown by lorries at night. From there, they were allegedly distributed to retailers across the State. Last month, the rural police seized 500 sacks of tobacco products worth ₹3 crore.
Published – February 03, 2025 11:41 pm IST