CHENNAI: Three vegetable vendors were arrested for smuggling liquor bottles concealed under vegetables and fruits at Tondiarpet and Madhavaram on Sunday.
Police intercepted two men on a bike carrying a gunny bag at Madhavaram.
As they were coming from Ennore Expressway towards Anna Nagar, police asked them where they bought these vegetables.
Rajendran, 43, of Sathyamurthy Nagar and Sakthivel, 40, of Nesapakkam told police that they were bringing the vegetables from their friend’s farm on the outskirts.
Police asked them to open the gunny bag and found 35 liquor bottles concealed under stale vegetables.
Inquiries revealed that they were carrying them to sell in the black market to earn easy money as the tipplers are ready to pay ₹around ₹1,000 for a bottle of 180 ml.
Police registered a case and arrested the duo and a court remanded them in prison after RT-PCR test was carried out on them.
In another incident, at Tondiarpet, 35-year-old Varadharajan, of Tsunami Quarters was arrested for carrying liquor bottles concealed under a load of mangoes.
While examining his basket of mangoes due to suspicion, police found 20 liquor bottles of 180 ml each.
A court remanded Varadharajan in jail.