Inter-state smuggling racket busted

Visakhapatnam: The city task force personnel busted an eight member inter-state gang of smugglers and seized four country made pistols along with ammunition, here on Tuesday. Of the eight members, four belonged to Bihar.

They were identified as Karanam Ravindra Babu - former army havaldar, D Raju, A Manikanta, D Appa Rao (all from Visakhapanam district) and Mukesh Kumar, Mohammed Shah Rukh, Ramnath Prasad and Bhola Shankar Gupta (all hailing for Bihar). Giving details of the case, DCP Navin Gulati said, “Ravindra Babu, after retiring from Army in 2015 on medical grounds, settled in Madhuravada and began working as a security supervisor. In order to make quick money, he got involved in ganja smuggling and arrested by the PM Palem police in August last year.

While serving as remand prisoner, he got acquainted with D Raju, Mukesh Kumar, A Manikanta, who were also arrested on charges of smuggling and shared the same barrack in the central prison.” The DCP said during the three month remand, they ganged up and decided to carry out ganja smuggling in more organised way.

D Raju requested Mukesh Kumar in the presence of Babu to arrange weapons so that they can eliminate rivals in the ganja trade. Both agreed and on release from the prison, Raju arranged flight tickets for Babu to visit Patna to meet Mukesh and arrange weapons.

Meanwhile, Raju and Appa Rao tried to smuggle ganja and when their vehicle was intercepted, both escaped and fled to Patna, where Raju gave Mukesh an amount of Rs 4 lakh for purchase of weapons.

Mukesh procured four country made pistols from Arah district of Bihar each costing Rs 30,000 and 50 rounds of ammunition. All of them returned to city and congregated at Madhuravada.

They arranged two vehicles one having Bihar registration and decided to begin smuggling of ganja and extortion.