Inspector General, South Zone, S. Murugan chaired a meeting here on Thursday to review the security arrangements made in Tenkasi, which shares its border with Kerala, and discuss the measures to eradicate the sale of banned tobacco products, lottery and circulation of counterfeit currency notes.
Police sources said Mr. Murugan visited the district in the wake of the seizure of ₹17 lakh-worth banned tobacco products on Wednesday and the frequent smuggling of lottery and fake currency notes from neighbouring Kerala into Tenkasi.
It was decided at the meeting that the police, after strengthening surveillance on Tenkasi – Kerala border along with their counterparts of the neighbouring State, should share intelligence inputs with them to curb the movement of criminals and the smugglers. Additional police personnel would be deployed at the check-posts to monitor the movement of inter-State criminals, who are solely responsible for smuggling of contraband and counterfeit currency notes.
Besides ensuring better law and order situation in the district, situated close to the Western Ghats, pending criminal cases should be solved and the criminals evading their arrest be put behind the bars, the IG instructed.
Deputy Inspector General of Police, Tirunelveli Range, Praveen Kumar Abinapu, Superintendent of Police Suguna Singh, Deputy Superintendents of Police and the Inspectors of Police participated in the meeting.
In Theni
In a similar exercise, officials from Theni and Idukki district held a joint meeting in view of Onam celebrations having commenced in Kerala.
Officials said that surveillance in locations such as Cumbum Mettu, Mandipaarai, Moongipallam and Kumuli would be stepped up from tonight.
With festivity in the neighbouring State, there were intelligence inputs that liquor and ganja may be most sought after commodity. Hence, vehicles would be checked thoroughly to prevent any such illegal smuggling. The Joint Commissioner (Excise) Pradeep, ADSP Sankaran, Uthamapalayam PEW Inspector Gayathri, Udumbansolai Excise Circle Inspector Santosh Kumar and officials from the forest department participated.
The personnel required from each side and the check post locations and among other key inputs were shared during the meeting.
