Ambulance Arrest: Drug Smugglers Nabbed; Major Fire Razes Bus Facility

The Coimbatore Prohibition Enforcement Wing detained two men for attempting to smuggle 21 kg of ganja disguised inside an ambulance. Meanwhile, a significant fire incident at a Karur-based bus building firm resulted in massive property loss, with multiple buses and materials destroyed.

In a cunning attempt to bypass law enforcement, two individuals have been apprehended by the Coimbatore Prohibition Enforcement Wing. The duo allegedly tried to transport 21 kilograms of ganja under the guise of an emergency medical vehicle. Manikandan and Veerachinna Maruthu, both 28, were identified as the key figures behind the illegal operation, whereby an ambulance was used with the intent to skirt routine police checkpoints.

According to investigative reports, the illicit scheme unfolded as Manikandan sought out Maruthu to exploit an ambulance's unsuspicious nature for drug trafficking. Planning meticulously, they traveled to Ichapuram, Andhra Pradesh, for procurement, thereafter setting the course for Coimbatore. However, their plans were foiled when the PEW, prompted by precise intelligence, intercepted their vehicle mid-journey.

Simultaneously, chaos erupted in Karur as a blazing fire engulfed a private bus body-building operation. Reportedly owned by Senthil Kumar, the facility suffered extensive loss with three buses decimated along the Karur-Coimbatore highway. Firefighters managed to contain the inferno after a grueling three-hour battle, salvaging what they could from the flame's destructive path.