The Ernakulam police on Monday seized two tanker trucks containing tar and additional 337 barrels of the material in two separate raids at Muvattupuzha and Kunnathunadu.
In the first incident, the police seized 235 barrels and a tanker truck from a godown owned by one Ibrahim and apprehended two persons in this connection.
“The consignment, which was marked for road works at the Kakkanad Inforpark, was being taken out from the Kochi Refinery and carried off to be diverted to the black market when the lorry was seized’’, officials said.
In the second incident, the police seized a tanker lorry containing tar and 102 barrels, which were supposed to be taken to a PWD site in Ernakulam, from a godown in Nellad under the Kunnathunadu police station limits.
The raids were taken out based on a tip-off received by Ernakulam Rural Police Superintendent Yathish Chandra.
A follow-up investigation is on.
