KAKINADA: The police arrested five persons and seized 1,000 kg of ganja worth Rs 1 crore from them at Godlagudem Junction in Mothugudem of East Godavari district on Monday, November 8, 2021. District Superintendent of Police M Ravindranath Babu said ganja cultivated in Odisha Agency was illegally being transported in a lorry via Sukumamidi forest to Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh when it was intercepted. As the police intensified checking of vehicles plying on highways at night, there has been a slight decline in transportation of ganja in recent times, the SP said, adding that smugglers are using all modes of transport to evade police.
Based on a tip-off, a police team, led by Chintur Circle Inspector G Yuvakumar, and Mothugudem Sub-Inspector V Satti Babu, checked vehicles passing through Godlagudem Junction, and found the contraband hidden under cattle feed bags in the lorry. Four persons on two motorcycles were acting as pilots to the lorry in which ganja was being smuggled. On noticing the police, one person fled the scene. The arrested included Manmohan Patel (50) and Mohammad Harun (28) of MP, Rabin Mandal (30), Arutha Viswash (24) and Basudeb Mandal (32) of Odisha. Two motorcycles were also seized.
Five from MP, Odisha held
Five persons, including Manmohan Patel and Mohammad Harun of Madhya Pradesh, Rabin Mandal, Arutha Viswash and Basudeb Mandal of Odisha, were arrested.