Royapuram Police arrested five persons, including a woman, for allegedly smuggling ganja from Andhra Pradesh and selling it in the city.
Police said, on Thursday afternoon, a sub-inspector of police attached to Royapuram received information that five persons including a woman were standing near Royapuram Old NRT Bridge. On instructions from the Royapuram Law and Order inspector, a team of police personnel proceeded to the spot and found five persons standing with white plastic gunny bags. On seeing the police team, the gang tried to escape from the spot along with the bags. The team swiftly rounded them up.
Two of them -- C. Ramana, 33, and Y. Sathiyavathi, 32 -- were fromVisakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, while the other three were local residents who joined them at Royapuram Railway Station to purchase ganja. On searching their bags, the police team found the contraband concealed in small parcels for sale.
They were taken to the Royapuram police station and further interrogated. A case was registered under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS)Act.
Police said during the interrogation, Ramana and Sathiyavathi confessed that they came by an Express train from Vishakapattinam to Sullurpet and changed to an EMU train from Sullurpet to Gummidipoondi. They got down at Gummidipoondi and changed to another local train from Gummidipoondi to Royapuram to sell ganja to their regular buyers in the city.
Police arrested Ramana and Sathiyavathi along with K. Moovendan, 29 of Thirunindra Nagar, Puzhal, V. Surya, 29 of Pallavan Nagar, New Washermenpet and M. Subramani, 42 of Tondiarpet. Altogether 160 kg of ganja was seized from them. The five accused are habitual drug offenders, said police.
