News:2026-01-20/Trafficking/2-fishermen-ready-to-smuggle-110-kg-ganja-to-lanka-held

20 January 2026

Trafficking

India·Tamil Nadu·Pudukkottai District·Manamelkudi

2 fishermen ready to smuggle 110 kg ganja to Lanka held

Manamelkudi coastal police arrested two fishermen — A. Arokia Rahul (31, Anthoniyarpuram) and K. Rajeswaran alias Sivasankar (29, Panangkudi Thope) — for attempting to smuggle 110 kg of cannabis to Sri Lanka by sea from Pudukkottai district. Rahul's uncle S. Stephen Raj (52, Sayalkudi) arranged the job, with three bags of cannabis delivered by car at Athipattinam cremation road late Saturday night. The pair loaded the bags onto Rahul's fibre boat, fished through Sunday night and Monday as cover, then navigated to GPS coordinates provided by a Sri Lankan counterpart for a mid-sea handoff. When the Sri Lankan contact failed to appear by 2:15 am Tuesday, they returned to Anthoniyarpuram harbour and went ashore for tea at Manamelkudi. Police constable Thiyarajeswaran — recently transferred from Sethubavachatram station — recognised Rajeswaran as an associate of known smuggler Muthrasan of Karanguda (near Peravurani) and stopped the pair. Audio messages on Rahul's phone to his Sri Lankan counterpart confirmed the smuggling operation. Police seized 110 kg of cannabis from the boat.

Source: https://www.deccanchronicle.com/southern-states/tamil-nadu/2-fishermen-ready-to-smuggle-110-kg-ganja-to-lanka-held-1931569

2026-01-20 Trafficking 2 fishermen ready to smuggle 110 kg ganja to Lanka held Manamelkudi coastal police arrested two fishermen — A. Arokia Rahul (31, Anthoniyarpuram) and K. Rajeswaran alias Sivasankar (29, Panangkudi Thope) — for attempting to smuggle 110 kg of cannabis to Sri Lanka by sea from Pudukkottai district. Rahul's uncle S. Stephen Raj (52, Sayalkudi) arranged the job, with three bags of cannabis delivered by car at Athipattinam cremation road late Saturday night. The pair loaded the bags onto Rahul's fibre boat, fished through Sunday night and Monday as cover, then navigated to GPS coordinates provided by a Sri Lankan counterpart for a mid-sea handoff. When the Sri Lankan contact failed to appear by 2:15 am Tuesday, they returned to Anthoniyarpuram harbour and went ashore for tea at Manamelkudi. Police constable Thiyarajeswaran — recently transferred from Sethubavachatram station — recognised Rajeswaran as an associate of known smuggler Muthrasan of Karanguda (near Peravurani) and stopped the pair. Audio messages on Rahul's phone to his Sri Lankan counterpart confirmed the smuggling operation. Police seized 110 kg of cannabis from the boat. https://www.deccanchronicle.com/southern-states/tamil-nadu/2-fishermen-ready-to-smuggle-110-kg-ganja-to-lanka-held-1931569 India Tamil Nadu Pudukkottai District Manamelkudi 10° 10' 12.00" N, 79° 15' 0.00" E