Police Seize 19.8 Kg Hashish Bound For Sri Lanka, Key Accused Arrested - Rediff

Ramanathapuram police have made a significant breakthrough in cross-border narcotics smuggling, seizing 19.8 kg of hashish destined for Sri Lanka and apprehending a key suspect, disrupting a lucrative drug trade route.IMAGE: This is an AI-generated image and has been used only for representational purposes.Key PointsPolice seized 19.8 kg of hashish near Pasipattinam beach in Ramanathapuram, intended for Sri Lanka, and arrested a key accused on Wednesday.The accused, identified as Mano, was apprehended with an initial two kg of narcotics, leading to the recovery of nearly 18 kg more from his residence.The seized hashish is valued at Rs 2.5 lakh per kg in India, with its price multiplying up to three times in Sri Lanka, reaching nearly Rs 10 lakh per kg.Mano was previously wanted in connection with a 15 kg ganja case, and police anticipate further arrests in this wider network.Authorities have initiated legal procedures to attach properties purchased through illegal drug smuggling by the accused and their relatives.In a major crackdown on cross-border narcotics smuggling, police seized 19.8 kg of hashish intended for Sri Lanka and arrested a key accused near Pasipattinam beach in this district, officials said on Wednesday.Acting on specific intelligence regarding smuggling activities, a police patrol team led by Inspector David Ravirajan and Sub-Inspector Ramesh secured the accused, identified as Mano at the beach with an initial two kg of the narcotics, officials said. During subsequent interrogation, authorities recovered nearly 18 kg of hashish concealed at his residence in Thalirmarungur, falling under the Thondi police station limits.Details Of The Major Hashish SeizureA senior police official told reporters that hashish is a highly concentrated cannabis resin. While 20 kg of regular ganja constitutes a commercial quantity under law, just one kg of hashish meets the commercial quantity threshold, making this a significant bust, he added.As per the Central Governments Narcotics Control Bureau rate chart, the seized hashish is valued at Rs 2.5 lakh per kg in India, but the price multiplies up to three times in Sri Lanka, fetching nearly Rs 10 lakh per kg.Investigation And Property AttachmentThe police official said a wider network is involved and further arrests will be made soon.The accused, Mano, was already wanted by the police in connection with a previous case involving 15 kg of ganja registered at the Thondi police station.In addition to this major seizure, Ramanathapuram district police registered six other cases in the recent past during the intensive drive across various station limits, arresting five individuals and seizing an additional eight to nine kg of contraband.The official also said that police have initiated legal procedures to attach movable and immovable properties, including land and houses, purchased through illegal drug smuggling by the accused and their relatives.Disclaimer: News content is sourced from the stated source. Headlines, summaries, section headers, and images are automatically generated or selected using AI/algorithms and may not always be fully accurate. Readers are advised to refer to the full article for complete context.