Based on information furnished by the duo, a third person was caught at Tiruppur in Coimbatore on Tuesday with 100 kg of estradine, another banned drug.

Rajaram and Ramesh from Tiruppur were arrested when they were waiting in a car parked in front of a hotel at M G Road in Ern akulam along with 30 kg of hashish. DRI officials said the two of them were key links in an international drug cartel and were expecting an agent when they were caught. Rajaram was a prominent textiles trader at Tiruppur and Ramesh was a customs house agent.

The duo revealed there were more drugs stored at a godown at Tiruppur. Sources said the banned drugs were meant to be sent to Dubai through the Nedumbassery international airport. The drugs were estimated to cost Rs 130 crore in the international market and were brought to Tiruppur from Afghanistan through Nepal.