Tambaram City police arrest 26 in special drive against ganja and banned tobacco products

The Tambaram City Police arrested 26 persons, of whom 20 were remanded in judicial custody, during a special enforcement drive against the illegal sale and distribution of ganja and banned tobacco products across the commissionerate on Saturday.The operation, conducted on the instructions of Tambaram City Police Commissioner Najmul Hoda, involved 89 special teams comprising 450 police personnel. Teams were deployed in Tambaram and Pallikaranai police districts to conduct intensive searches at men’s hostels, private premises and other locations frequented by students and vulnerable sections of the public.Police registered 15 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) against those allegedly involved in the illegal possession and sale of ganja and prohibited tobacco products.During the operation, police seized 3.84 kg of ganja, 2.226 kg of banned tobacco products, 160 tablets and a three-wheeler allegedly used in the illegal activities.The police have also intensified surveillance around schools and other vulnerable public places to prevent minors from accessing narcotic substances and tobacco products.Mr Hoda said the police were committed to the complete eradication of narcotics and described the special drive as the beginning of the end of drug-related offences in the Tambaram police Commissionerate. Published - November 15, 2026 12:44 am IST