Vellore police seize 130 kg gutkha; three held

Three persons were arrested after police seized 130 kg of gutkha during surprise checks near Katpadi in Vellore on Friday. Police said the arrested persons were identified as M. Sakthi Ganesh, 26, R. Anandraj, 25, and S. Rathinaram, 28. While Rathinaram was a resident of Walajah in Ranipet, the two others were from Ponnai village near Katpadi.

Initial inquiry revealed that based on orders of Vellore SP A. Mayilvaganan, special teams were formed to prevent illegal activities in the district. 

Police said that during routine vehicle checks near the police check-post on Ponnai Koot Road junction in Tiruvalam village near Katpadi in Vellore, the team stopped a car driven by Ganesh. He gave contradictory answers about the purpose of travel.

Police got suspicious about him and checked the vehicle where they found gutka in it. The consignment was headed to industrial towns like Sriperumbudur and Oragadam in Kancheepuram where the banned product was to be sold to retail dealers. A case was registered by Ponnai police. The gang were lodged at Central Prison in Vellore. A probe is under way.