KAKINADA: After police intensified their vigil, ganja smugglers are using new methods to transport the contraband from Visakhapatnam agency to neighbouring States through East Godavari. Recently, police have seized liquid ganja from smugglers in Vizag and East Godavari. On Thursday, October 7, 2021, the Kirlampudi police seized 122.7 kg ganja, which was concealed in boxes containing photo frames of gods. The driver of the auto was taken into custody and Rs 30,000 cash, a mobile phone and the vehicle were seized.
The smugglers are trying a variety of new methods to press ahead. On August 25, East Godavari district police arrested five persons with ‘liquid ganja’ at Chintur. Police said a 10-member gang has been making liquid ganja at Visakhapatnam forest area and transporting it to other States. Interestingly, most of the accused are from Kerala. Mahammed Abik, a 26-year-old BTech graduate from Miryalaguda in Nalgonda, Telangana, was part of the group. On October 3, police arrested four persons with 1,000 kg of ganja worth Rs 2 crore while they were transporting the contraband in a borewell vehicle to evade police.
Tuni rural circle inspector K Kishor Babu, Thondangi SI M Mohan Kumar and staff inspected the borewell vehicle at Addaripeta beach road in Thondangi mandal and found the ganja in borewell engine’ generator boxes. On September 24, 3,350 kgs of ganja was seized by Chintur police and four persons were arrested. All the accused hail from Uttar Pradesh and Odisha, who were staying in Chintur. They were transporting ganja, which was procured from the forest area in Mothugudem, to Hyderabad in 500 liters water drums.
On September 11, Jaggampeta CI V Suresh Babu, sub-inspector G Appala Raju and other staff seized 36 bags of ganja from a lorry transporting plaster of paris. The ganja packets were hidden at the bottom of the POP load. However, the driver of the lorry fled from the scene.
District superintendent of police M Ravindranadh Babu said the police have intensified their efforts to curb ganja smuggling. A Special Enforcement Bureau team has been deployed to nab ganja smugglers, he said. The police said there is no ganja cultivation in the East Godavari agency area. The smugglers are buying the contraband from Visakhapatnam agency and Odisha.