Thanjavur Police successfully thwarted an attempt to smuggle 330 kg of ganja to Sri Lanka on November 22, 2024, arresting three individuals in the process. The police acted on a tip-off received by Thanjavur SP Ashish Rawat about the illegal operation. The contraband was being transported in a lorry from Andhra Pradesh to Sethubavachatram, from where it was to be shipped by sea using FRP boats.

The arrested individuals were identified as Paramaraj (34), the lorry driver from Tenkasi, Annadurai (44), from Peravurani, and Muthaiyya (60), from Ammachathiram in Thanjavur. A special team led by Sub Inspector Devid was set up to monitor the area. They spotted a suspicious lorry early on Friday, with the suspects unloading bundles of ganja into a car. Upon inspection, 330 kg of ganja was recovered.

Further investigation revealed that Karuppiah (52) from Thanjavur had masterminded the operation, purchasing the ganja from Andhra Pradesh and arranging for its shipment to Sri Lanka via the boats owned by Annadurai.
Authorities are continuing the search for Karuppiah.