Thane Crime: 27-year-old arrested with Ganja worth Rs 4 lakh

The police seized another 15 kgs of ganja valued at Rs 2.40 lakh. The value of the total ganja seizure stood at Rs 4.10 lakh, the police officer said

On Friday, the Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) seized ganja worth more than Rs 4 lakh from a man from Karnataka, a police official said. Sleuths of the ANC of the Thane police arrested a man, identified as Prakash Pawar (27), on July 3 and recovered 10.5 kgs of ganja valued at Rs 1.70 lakh from him, senior police inspector Vijay Powar said.

The police later searched his home at Bidar town in adjoining Karnataka and on Thursday seized another 15 kgs of ganja valued at Rs 2.40 lakh, he said. The value of the total ganja seizure stood at Rs 4.10 lakh, the police officer said.

Pawar, an autorickshaw driver, has been booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, he said, adding further probe was on.

In a similar incident, over 900 kg of cannabis worth Rs 1.92 crore in the grey market was seized by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI). The seizure and the arrests were made in Siddipet district of Telangana. Based on a tip-off that narcotic drugs were being transported illegally, the DRI officials intercepted a goods carrier and made the seizure, a press release from the DRI's Hyderabad zonal unit said.

When inquired about the consignment in the vehicle, the accused stated that they were carrying guava and coconut saplings to be delivered at Zaheerabad in the district, the release said. The officials then boarded the vehicle and noticed gunny bags concealed beneath a load of plants emanated a strong odour.

On a close search, the officials recovered cannabis weighing 962.7 kg packed in 477 brown coloured packets. The contraband was said to be brought from Rajahmundry area of Andhra Pradesh and destined to Zaheerabad. The cannabis has been seized under the provisions of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. The two persons in the vehicle have been arrested and the goods carrier has been seized, the release said. Further investigation is on, it added.

With inputs from PTI

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