VIJAYAWADA: In a major crackdown on ganja and other narcotic substances, as many as 25 persons were arrested on Monday in NTR and Krishna districts. In the first incident, Patamata police registered a case against three youngsters under relevant sections and arrested them for smuggling Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) through an APSRTC bus from a Bengaluru-based supplier. Police seized 47 grams of MDMA, 500 grams of ganja and `22,900 cash from their possession.
According to NTR district police commissioner Kanthi Rana Tata, the three accused Nunna Suhas (25) of Patamata Lanka, Arla Sai Varaprasad (24) of Patamata and Ammireddy Harshavardhan (26) of Surampalli were addicted to vices and chose ganja, narcotic smuggling and peddling to earn easy money. The prime accused developed contacts of drug peddlers in Bengaluru and purchased MDMA from Sashi. Sashi, packed the drug in a bag and sent the bag to Vijayawada through APSRTC bus. “While collecting the bag, Patamata police intercepted the prime accused Suhas. With the information obtained from him, police have arrested two other friends and recovered MDMA from their possession,” said CP Rana. He further said that a detailed probe is on to trace the network and consumers.
In the second incident, Krishna district police arrested as many as 22 ganja smugglers under five various police stations. Around 40 kg of ganja, three grams of MDMA, 16 mobile phones, an auto and a motorcycle were seized from their possession.
Speaking to TNIE, Krishna district SP Palle Jashuva said that all the accused arrested for ganja smuggling and peddling were under 30 years of age. Cases have been registered against them and produced in the court. He further explained that youngsters were attracted to vices and are committing offences and becoming victims. He also told parents to monitor the activities of their children and asked the public to alert police if they found anyone involved in anti-social activities.
“Punishment from 10 years to 20 years will be sentenced to accused who are caught with narcotic substances under NDPS Act. In order to create deterrence, we are invoking the Preventive Detention (PD) Act on those who were found committing similar offences twice,” SP Jashuva explained.
APSRTC TO FOCUS ON CARGO DEPOT
The managing director of Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) Ch Dwaraka Tirumala Rao instructed district level officials concerned to focus on the Cargo services in the wake of MDMA drug seized from PNBS on Monday. The MD Tirumala Rao, through video conference, told the officials to issue a notice to all drivers and conductors not to accept parcels from the public and asked them to scan each parcel arriving at the cargo depot. “Stringent action would be initiated against those failing to adhere to rules,” he said.