The Sri Lankan Navy has detained five youth from Thoothukudi district on the charge of smuggling two tonnes of beedi leaves from a coastal village in Tirunelveli district to the island nation in a country boat.
Police sources here said M. Tijo, 24, of Tsunami Colony near Siluvaipatti, P. Maria Antony Naresh, 21, of Inigo Nagar, and three 18-year-old boys smuggled beedi leaves, weighing about two tonnes, in a country boat from Koothenkuzhi in Tirunelveli district.
When they were waiting in the boat in the territorial waters of Sri Lanka to hand over the beedi leaves to their contacts from the island nation, a Sri Lankan Navy patrol boat spotted their boat. They were detained along with the boat and taken to the naval base at Kalpitti for interrogation.
“As per the information we have, the Sri Lankan authorities are expected to slap a hefty fine on the five persons for their release,” said the police sources.
