The Task Force from the Prohibition and Excise Department, Anakapalle, arrested four persons and seized from them about 480 kg of dry ganja while the contraband weed was being allegedly smuggled in a van at Chodavaram on Tuesday morning.
The arrested were identified as P. Naidu, P. Raju, V. Srinivas, and Asghar. The fifth accused and the main kingpin P. Srinivas is still at large.
According to Task Force Inspector K.V. Papinaidu, the accused were trying to smuggle the ganja by placing it in a specially fabricated cabinet under the back seat.
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He also said that V. Srinivas was earlier arrested in 2014 by the Excise Task Force of Paderu when he was caught trying to smuggle ganja in the same van.
In the last three months, the Anakapalle Task Force seized about 3,900 kg of ganja, arrested 46 persons and seized four vans, eight motorbikes and six cars.
All the accused were booked under various sections of the NDPS Act.
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