Bid to smuggle chemicals to Lanka foiled

RAMANATHAPURAM: Five persons were arrested near Pirapanvalasai coast on Sunday with eight cans containing 280 litres of chemical substance meant for smuggling to Sri Lanka, on Sunday.

A police team which conducted a surprise raid along the seashore at Mandapam spotted five persons waiting at Pirapanvalasai coast in a suspicious manner.

The team caught the men, Velayutham, Selvakumar, Muthuselvam and Manoharan of Rameswaram and Meera-sha of Thoothukudi, and seized the chemicals.

They also seized a country boat and a mini-van. Police refused to reveal the nature of the chemicals.