A smuggling attempt was prevented on the waters of the Gulf of Mannar, which connects India and Sri Lanka, by a ship of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG).
The guards of Ship Vajra discovered a total of four fishing boats, two each from Sri Lanka and India, as they were smuggling Tendu leaves close to the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL).
Two Sri Lankan fishing boats, according to the ICG, were caught after being hotly pursued while attempting to cross the IMBL. The boats had approximately 104 bags of Tendu leaves, totaling nearly 2.8 tonnes and costing Rs. 20 million ($24,500).
Bidi is a small cigarette or mini-cigar loaded with tobacco flakes that is typically wrapped in tendu leaves, which are scientifically known as “Diospyros melanoxyion.”
After being transported to Tuticorin Harbour in Tamil Nadu, a state in southern India, the vessels were then turned over to local authorities for further action.
