HYDERABAD: The Special Operations Team (SOT) of Cyberabad police arrested six members of an interstate ganja smuggling gang and seized a large quantity of contraband and vehicles used for transportation, all worth Rs 1.80 crore.
According to Cyberabad Police Commissioner Stephen Raveendra, the arrested were identified as Ashok Khule, Amol Athawale, Rahul Kumar Singh, Vilash Jagannath Phachore, Firoz Momin and Sudam Ghotekar and they were transporting ganja from Odisha to Maharashtra via Hyderabad. The police team seized 800 kg of dry ganja, a DCM van and another car escorting the van from the gang at Miyapur.
This is the second major ganja seizure by Cyberabad police this week. Three days ago, the SOT sleuths seized 214 kg of ganja being smuggled from Andhra-Odisha border areas to Maharashtra via Hyderabad at Kothur on the city outskirts and arrested a five-member gang. “As there is a strict vigil on ganja movement in and around the city, the smugglers are taking different routes. This particular gang purchased ganja for Rs 3,000 per kg and were planning to sell it at Rs 20,000 per kg,” the Police Commissioner added.
Both the supplier, Subhash Kumar from Odisha and Nashik-based receiver Vikas Jadhav are absconding. Based on a tip off, the SOT sleuths of Shamshabad zone, along with Miyapur police team, intercepted the car used by the gang near Miyapur toll plaza. On being questioned by the police, the car passengers revealed that ganja was being transported in the DCM van.
According to police, Vikas Jadhav and the arrested accused belong to Maharashtra and they have been smuggling the ganja from the agency areas of Koraput district in Odisha to Maharashtra via Hyderabad.
While Subhash and others monitor the cultivation and supply network, the other accused transport ganja from agency areas in Visakhapatnam of AP and Odisha.