Six African nationals, local arrested on charges of peddling ganja in Puducherry

Based on a tip-off, the police arrested the accused from a rented house in Advocate Chinna Thambi Street in Kurussukuppam and seized from their possession 2.6 kilograms of ganja.
For representational purposes
For representational purposes

PUDUCHERRY: Six African nationals including three women and one local person have been arrested for peddling ganja.

Based on a tip-off, the police arrested the accused from a rented house in Advocate Chinna Thambi Street in Kurussukuppam and seized from their possession 2.6 kilograms of ganja.

The arrested were identified as Vivek of Manakula Vinayagar Koil Street, Vava Ukwishaka, Mugeyo Olivier, Axul, Nabukeera Hellen, Kalule Bamboa, Nantongo Mary, and Inimahazwe Morette.

SP (East) Rachna Singh said that as part of the "OPERATION VIDIYAL" launched by the police to curb the ganja menace in Puducherry, a raid was conducted by the Muthialpet police along with Special Task Force (STF) in the house. 

After a thorough search, the seven were found in the house along with two polythene bags containing Cannabis Sativa (ganja) weighing 2.60 Kg. These ganja packets were kept for selling to the general public, laborers, students, and also minors, she said. Seven mobile phones and Rs 51,120 in cash were also seized.

Singh said that the African nationals were living illegally in Puducherry and were not in possession of any passport. They claimed that their passport was with an ‘agent’. 

The accused claimed that they had come to Puducherry on student visas and are studying in private colleges in Puducherry and one in Trichy. But with a shortage of finance, they were supporting themselves by doing odd jobs in hotels, private companies. They were peddling ganja after procuring them from a supplier in the adjoining areas in Tamil Nadu, said Singh.

All the six African nationals were booked under Section 20(h)(A) of NDPS Act 1985 r/w 34 IPC & Sec. 12 of the Passport Act 1967, while the local person under NDPS act only and remanded to judicial custody.

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