In a major crackdown under ‘Operation Toofan’, the District Anti-Narcotics Special Action Force (DANSAF) and the Kozhikode City police seized around 400 kg of banned tobacco products and arrested a Kasaragod native near the toll plaza at Pantheerankavu on Thursday (June 12, 2026) night.The arrested youth has been identified as Abdul Zakir, 28, a native of Galimukha in Kasaragod district. According to the police, the contraband, valued at approximately ₹10 lakh, was concealed in 16 sacks and transported in a car. The tobacco products were being smuggled from Mysuru to Ernakulam district via Kozhikode. Acting on a tip-off received by District Police Chief (Kozhikode City) Merin Joseph, a joint team of the City police and DANSAF intercepted the suspected vehicle and took the accused into custody.The seized consignments comprised nearly 15,000 packets of tobacco products weighing around 400 kg, the police said. During interrogation, the accused reportedly told investigators that he had been smuggling tobacco products in a similar manner as many as 10 times a month.The police said intensified surveillance is being maintained across the city as part of the ongoing ‘Operation Toofan’, a special enforcement drive jointly undertaken by the DANSAF and Kozhikode City police to curb the illegal transport and distribution of narcotic and banned tobacco substances. Further investigation is under way, they added. Published - June 12, 2026 07:54 pm IST