Sleuths of Rameswaram Customs Preventïve Unit have seized about 1.88 lakh tablets, mostly pain killer and pregnancy termination tablets loaded in a country boat for smuggling to Sri Lanka via the sea route on Friday.
Acting on a tip off and on the direction of Assistant Commissioner of Customs Vijayakumar, a special team, headed by Customs Superintendent M. Pugazhendhi seized the tablets found in nine packs and kept in six travel bags in the boat at the Mundhalmunai seashore, near Pamban.
Customs officials said the seized tablets included 1.80 lakh Tramodol-225, 500 Mifegest, 5000 Contrakit and 2400 Misoprostol and they were valued at ₹. 52 lakh.
The boat was ready to set sail and the smugglers might have fled after abandoning the boat and tablets sensing trouble, the officials said.
The country boat had no registration number and the owner of the boat could not be traced immediately, the officials said.
After seizing the boat and the tablets, the Customs preventive unit registered a case and are investigating, they also added.
The tablets were seized a day after the Marine police of the coastal security group seized an abandoned Sri Lankan fibreglass boat.
This was the second major seizure after the district police seized 1.23 lakh such tablets and arrested a person, when they were being clandestinely transported from Chennai in a bus for smuggling to Sri Lanka in December last.
