THALASSERY: The Koothuparamba Circle Excise and Kannur Excise Intelligence Bureau have seized 400 kilograms of banned tobacco products sent by courier parcel by air from Faridabad. Illikkunnu native TK Rashban and Kannur native Muhammad Safwan were taken into custody in connection with the incident. 

The tobacco products worth Rs 7 lakhs in the market were seized from a rented house named Yasin near Badariya Masjid in Illikkunnu. The Excise teams inspected the house based on the confidential information received by Preventive Officer Sukesh Vandichal. 

The inspection was carried out by a party led by Koothuparamba Circle Inspector AK Vijesh and a team led by Kannur Intelligence Bureau Inspector KP Pramod. The Excise officials also seized a suspicious material related to the Forest Wildlife Protection Act during the inspection. This will be handed over to the Forest Department. 

IB Preventive Officers Sukesh Vandichal, Abdul Nisar, Sudheer, CP Shaji, Shajith, Koothuparamba Circle Preventive Officers P Pramodhan, U Shaji, Civil Excise Officers Prajeesh Kotayi, NC Vishnu, AM Bineesh, Jijeesh Cheruvai and driver Latish Chandran took part in the inspection.