The divisional customs preventive unit has seized 19.5 kg of ganja after a gang, which was involved in smuggling the contraband to Sri Lanka via sea route, abandoned the stuff and escaped in a car at Sallithoppu seashore near Kalimangundu in Thirupullani taluk.
Customs sources said minutes after the smugglers, who came to the seashore in a car on Monday evening and left sensing trouble after making a vain bid to transit the contraband in a boat, the customs officials reached the spot and seized the ganja found abandoned in the seashore.
Quoting local informants, the sources said after the smugglers reached the designated spot in a white car, apparently loaded with ganja to be smuggled, a boat approached the shore to receive it.
However, after witnessing suspicious movements on the shore, the boat made a hasty retreat and sailed back.
Sensing trouble, the gang members in the car too left the spot in a hurry, leaving behind one bagful of ganja, the sources said.
On being alerted by the informants, a team of customs officials, led by M. Muniasamy, Customs Superintendent reached the spot and seized the ganja, concealed in ten packets.
Acting on the directions of D. F. Zavier Raja, Assistant commissioner, Ramanathapuram customs division, the officials alerted the customs preventive units in Kilakarai, Mandapam and Rameswaram and launched a combing operation throughout Monday night but could not locate the car, Mr Muniasamy told The Hindu .
“We have alerted our informants and check posts in the district borders and we will continue the check,” he said.
The officials inspected coconut groves and some isolated places suspecting that the smugglers might have carried more ganja in the car and dumped them before trying to escape, he said.
