Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu) [India], July 13 : The Coimbatore Prohibition Enforcement Wing (PEW) has arrested two individuals for allegedly attempting to smuggle 21 kilograms of contraband (ganja) inside an ambulance to evade police checkpoints and security scrutiny, officials said on Monday.
The accused have been identified as 28-year-old Manikandan, a resident of Peelamedu, and 28-year-old Veerachinna Maruthu, an ambulance driver hailing from Sivagangai.
According to the police, the duo hatched a plan to use a medical vehicle for the illegal transport of narcotics, believing that an ambulance would not be stopped or suspected during rigorous security checks at state and district borders. Manikandan reportedly approached Maruthu with the proposal to transport the contraband to make a large profit through illegal sales.
The investigation revealed that the two suspects travelled to Ichapuram in Andhra Pradesh, where they purchased 21 kg of contraband. They were transporting the consignment to Coimbatore in a Tata Winger ambulance when the PEW team, acting on specific intelligence, intercepted the vehicle.
Both Manikandan and Maruthu were arrested on the Ukkadam to Vaalankulam flyover and produced before a local magistrate, who remanded them in judicial custody.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident in Karur yesterday, a major fire broke out at a private bus body-building company in Karuppampalayam along the Karur-Coimbatore National Highway in Tamil Nadu, gutting three buses and causing extensive damage to construction materials, officials said. According to officials, the company is owned by Senthil Kumar.
Firefighters rushed to the spot with three fire tenders and water tankers and launched firefighting operations. The blaze was brought under control after nearly three hours. Three buses parked inside the facility, along with various equipment and materials used for bus body construction, were gutted in the fire, officials said.