Seven persons – four Sri Lankan fishermen and three from Thoothukudi – were arrested by the sleuths of Customs Preventive Division here in connection with narcotics smuggling, sources said here on Tuesday.
Based on a tip-off, the Customs sleuths conducted the operation and seized six kg of narcotic substances, valued at around ₹6 crore, and a boat. The contraband was concealed in a gunny bag.
The three persons from Thoothukudi – Ashok Kumar of Keela Mudiman in Ottapidaram taluk, who was doing M.Phil in a college, Rex, a football coach, and Santhiyagu – were allegedly transporting heroin and methaqualone in a boat from Threspuram.
During questioning, the officials came to know that Rex was the kingpin of the gang, the sources said.
They were nabbed on Monday evening while delivering the narcotics to the four Sri Lankan fishermen near Vaippar coast. The officials said the Sri Lankan fishermen were not cooperating during the inquiry.
The seized substances might be sent to a laboratory in Chennai for classification. Both the substances were prohibited under The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, and peddling them was a punishable offence, sources said.
Officials were investigating whether any organised crime network was involved in the narcotics smuggling, they added.