HYDERABAD: In one of the major drug hauls in the recent times on the Vijayawada-Hyderabad highway, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized 720kg ganja worth more than Rs 1.08 crore, on Saturday.
According to the officials, the contraband that was being illegally smuggled from Vizag agency area, was sealed in small packets and concealed in a specially made cavity in the floor of a truck. Based on a tip off, DRI sleuths intercepted a truck (No AP 05Y 8159) on the highway near Ramoji Film City but found nothing suspicious while checking. However, on keen examination of the vehicle and the cargo hold area, they noticed the nuts fastened to the floor of the cargo hold area looked new and fresh, like they were fastened recently.
After the nuts were unfastened and metal sheets removed, a false flooring and a cavity underlying it were found. Further, 180 small packets, weighing four kgs each, were found in the cavity.The officials seized 720kg ganja as well as truck worth Rs 10 lakh and detained the driver.
“The ganja packets were loaded onto the vehicle in the agency area and the consignment was destined for Hyderabad,” an official release from DRI said. According to officials, the driver was told to abandon the vehicle it at an undisclosed location and move away.
Man from AP held for smuggling ganja
An engineering graduate from AP, who was in the city for GRE coaching, was caught red-handed by Balanagar police while smuggling ganja. The accused is Manam Gowtham Chandu. Police seized 40 kgs ganja and a car from him. Balanagar Special Operations Team Inspector S Ramesh said the accused was nabbed while he was moving in a car at Bharath Nagar, adding that he has confessed to smuggling the contraband from Araku.