The Commissioner’s Task Force and the Patamata police seized two vehicles transporting 850 kg ganja and arrested three persons who were allegedly smuggling the contraband.
The accused were reportedly transporting ganja from Visakhapatnam Agency area to Chennai, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP-I) Ghajarao Bhupal.
Disclosing this to the newsmen here on Wednesday, the DCP said the accused had hidden ganja packets in an oil tanker and in another four-wheeler. When the vehicles reached Ramavarappadu, on the city outskirts, police intercepted them and took the accused into custody.
During questioning, the accused reportedly revealed that they loaded the contraband at Yelamanchili of Visakhapatnam district to be transported to Chennai. Police are trying to trace the kingpin of the racket and the receivers, Mr. Bhupal said.
“The lorry was in fit condition, but the tanker was damaged. We are verifying whether the vehicle was used for smuggling ganja earlier, and whether the accused have links with other ganja smugglers,” said Task Force Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Prasad.
Central ACP Satyanandam, Patamata Circle Inspector K. Damodar and other officers were present.
Mr. Prasad said the police seized 6,300 kg of ganja being smuggled to the neighbouring States in the raids in the last nine months. The confiscated contraband was being transported from Visakhapatnam Rural villages, Addateegala and Maredumilli in East Godavari district and from Kothagudem and Bhadrachalam areas in Telangana.
“As per the instructions of Police Commissioner D. Gautam Sawang, we have strengthened the network system to check ganja smuggling. Recently, the Task Force police intercepted a four-wheeler on the city outskirts and seized 400 kg of ganja. Police traced the smugglers and the details of the receivers,” the DCP said.
Asked about the origin of the rackets and the particulars of the racketeers, Mr. Bhupal said that police will take the accused into custody and take up investigation of the cases in detail.
