Thu Jan 23 12:46:40 UTC 2025: ## DMK Councillor Arrested in Thoothukudi for Areca Nut Smuggling
**THOOTHUKUDI, January 23, 2025** – A DMK councillor from Thoothukudi Corporation, Srinivasan (Ward 18), has been arrested for his alleged involvement in the smuggling of areca nuts from Indonesia. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) uncovered the contraband during an inspection of a shipment that had been falsely declared as containing cashew kernels.
The shipment, which arrived at the Thoothukudi port last November, contained 23 tonnes of undeclared areca nuts, valued at approximately ₹1.8 crore. Following the seizure, the DRI detained four employees of a private firm involved in the import. Their testimony led to the arrest of Councillor Srinivasan.
After a medical examination, Srinivasan was remanded to judicial custody. The investigation is ongoing.
First Piper 