Raids yield 180 kg mava in two North Chennai houses

Chennai: In a major haul, about 200 kg of raw materials used to make the banned mava (a form of chewing tobacco) was seized from two residences in north Chennai in a surprise raid on Thursday.

Of the two houses, more than 100 kg were seized from a single house in Korukkupet, police said. The house owner, S Chandrasekhar (42) is a member of the TTV Dhinakaran’s faction of AIADMK, police sources said. 

 A special team raided the neighbourhood based on a tip off about youths- mostly school and college dropouts from the area engaged in the distribution of mava packets. 

During the raid at Kamarajar Nagar in Korukkupet, cops seized bundles of packed mava packets from a petty shop there. Questioned about the source, the shop owner led them to Chandrasekar’s house on 9th street in Kamarajar Nagar.

“There were sacks of mava, packed in small sachets found in a room. He had also dried the raw materials on his terrace,” a police officer said. Mixers, grinders and other raw materials used for making the narcotic substance were also seized from the residence. 

 In another raid in Kasimedu, police personnel seized 80 kgs of raw materials from a housing board quarters in Indra Nagar there. The accused, P Ramesh, who sold the mava packets himself, was arrested.

Chandrasekar and Ramesh were booked under sections including Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA).