Ganja smuggling and illegal sale of drugs is rampant in Krishna district, but there is no check on supply and sale of the contraband or the sedatives.
Speaking to The Hindu Krishna District Superintendent of Police J. Prabhakara Rao said the police are trying to identify the origin of the contraband. “We are making efforts to develop a network with our counterparts in the neighbouring States and districts to prevent ganja smuggling,” Mr. Rao said.
Vijayawada Railway Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) D.N. Mahesh said that the Government Railway Police (GRP) was planning to conduct surprise checks to prevent transportation of ganja in trains.
Many students have got addicted to ganja and other sedatives and the accused too confessed that their main customers were the teenagers of various colleges. Parents should keep a vigil on the movements of their wards, said the then Krishna District Superintendent of Police P.V.S. Ramakrishna.
Due to poor vigil on the National Highways, rail and bus stations and other public places, the illegal business was thriving and smugglers are transporting ganja to several places through Krishna district.
Wide network
Some medical store owners are selling Fortwin and other sedatives without any prescription from the doctors. In January the Nuzvid police busted a drug racket and seized 650 doses of Fortwin injections, and arrested seven persons. The police seized huge quantity of ganja being transported in four-wheelers, near Thotlavallur in April and arrested two smugglers.
During investigation, it was revealed that most of the ganja and drug addicts were students from various engineering, MCA, MBA, PG, Degree and Intermediate colleges.
The smugglers have wide network in Vijayawada, Jaggaiahpet, Mylavaram, Nuzvid, Gudivada, Mudinepally, Vissannapet, Avanigadda, Nandigama and other places and are targeting students.
The seniors in the colleges and some ‘sadhus’ are the agents for the smugglers, the police personnel point out.
The modus operandi of the smugglers is to buy ganja from the remote areas in East Godavari, Visakhapatnam and Khammam districts.
They shift the contraband in luggage bags and sell them in small sachets at Rs.30 to Rs.50 each, said a police officer.
