Kumaly: Widespread smuggling of narcotics and other addictive substances is taking place in vehicles carrying vegetables from Tamil Nadu to Kerala through Kambamettu check-post. Recently, the Tamil Nadu police seized two pickup trucks which had concealed 176 kg and 80 kg of cannabis among vegetables.
In fact, As a result, details of vehicles passing the check-post are not recorded.
While one of the trucks intercepted by the Tamil Nadu police had paid taxes to transport vegetables to Kerala till September 30, the other truck had evaded taxes. MVD has an outpost at Kumaly check-post where officials can verify whether passing vehicles have paid taxes and also note the frequency of their trips. However, after COVID-19 regulations came into effect, vehicles from Tamil Nadu are being diverted via Kambamettu from Cumbum and the authorities are clueless regarding the trips of the vegetable trucks.
As per data with the MVD, the truck bearing registration number TN 7 AF 8916 that had paid taxes last passed the Kumaly check-post on August 10 this year. While the vehicle had reached Kumaly regularly every week in 2019, it had passed the check-post only once or twice a month in 2020. The truck was also found to have paid fines for overloading.
Meanwhile, the other truck seized for smuggling ‘ganja’ bearing the number TN 60 V 338 had reached Kumaly last on August 15, 2019. Officials presume that the truck had plied via Kambamettu, avoiding Kumaly, since then.
