The Q Branch Police have seized ₹5 lakh-worth bath soaps even as the cleansing agent was about to be smuggled to Sri Lanka by boat from Thoothukudi coast on Tuesday night.

As prices of essential commodities like cooking oil, foodgrains, aromatic products, beedi leaves, ganja, medicines, pesticides etc. have reached unprecedented heights in the island nation, the smugglers in the neighbouring country try to source it from Tamil Nadu with the help of their contacts here to be sold in their country at a premium price.

Despite surveillance by the Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard, Coastal Security Group, Department of Customs, Q Branch police and the local police, this business promising huge revenue in short period still lures the smugglers to take the risk for making attractive money.

When Q Branch police received information that essential commodities were to be smuggled to Sri Lanka by boat from Terespuram coast, the police led by Inspector Vijaya Anita were patrolling along the suspected areas. They spotted a fibreglass boat fitted with twin outboard engines being loaded with several boxes. On seeing the police rushing towards them, the smugglers managed to escape while the fibreglass boat with cartons containing 1,200 bath soaps, worth ₹5 lakh, was seized.

The Q Branch police later handed over the fibreglass boat and the soaps to the Department of Customs for further investigation and arrested the smugglers involved in the incident.