The Marine police of the Coastal Security Group (CSC) and the Customs Preventive Unit (CPU) have seized 32 bundles of beedi leaves found washed ashore at Kunthukal seashore near Akkalmadam and Danushkodi seashore.
On being informed by the local people, a marine police team, led by A. Ilango, Additional Superintendent of Police, and A Rajarajan, Inspector of Police, visited the seashore near Vivekananda memorial at Kunthukal in the early hours of Saturday and found the bundles washed ashore.
As the bundles were washed ashore one by one, the team waited for nearly two hours and collected 27 bundles and brought them to the marine police station in Mandapam. The police registered a case under section 102 of Cr PC (a police officer may seize any property which may be suspected to have been stolen or found under circumstances which creates suspicion of commission of any offence) and investigating.
Preliminary investigation suggested that the beedi leaf bundles were being smuggled to Sri Lanka on a boat and it might have capsized on the high seas or the smugglers would have thrown them into the sea sensing danger, Mr Ilango said. No one was arrested in connection with the case, he said.
In the evening, CPU in Rameswaram seized five bundles, found washed ashore on the Danushkodi seashore, police said.
