Navy seizes another stock of smuggled turmeric in Mannar & Norochcholai

The Navy yesterday seized another stock of 807 kgs of dried turmeric at Daluwa in Norochcholai and Vankalai in Mannar when they were being smuggled into the country from India.

Naval personnel attached to the Northwestern Naval Command had nabbed four suspects who were attempting to smuggle in about 700kgs of dried turmeric in two dinghies in the beach area of Daluwa in Norochcholai.

The smuggled items had been stuffed in 14 gunny sacks. The arrested aged between 25 and 58 and are residents of Kalpitiya.

Meanwhile, naval personnel of North Central Naval Command, during a patrol in the beach area of Vankalai, Mannar had detected two suspicious sacks washed ashore and recovered approximately 107kgs of turmeric in the sacks.

The Navy said that they seized over 8,360 kgs of dried turmeric smuggled into the country via sea routes on several occasions in the past three weeks.

Due to COVID-19 concerns, the navy said all these naval operations were conducted in compliance with guidelines stipulated by health authorities.