Railway police foil inter-state ganja trafficking operation

Hyderabad: Two residents of Maheshwaram were arrested at Secunderabad Railway Station for smuggling over 10 kg of ganja from Odisha, following a coordinated police operation targeting drug peddlers during the festive season. The contraband, worth more than Rs 5.4 lakh, was meant to be distributed in Telangana, especially for the Dasara Festival.

The railway police, led by Deputy Superintendent SN Jawed, conducted a surprise anti-drug inspection on trains and platforms at Kacheguda railway station, resulting in the apprehension of Madugula Arjun, a car service centre employee, and Vatti Srinivas, a milk salesman. Both confessed during questioning that they purchased the ganja from Berhampur, Odisha, and transported it aboard the Konark Express to Hyderabad.

According to official statements, the duo purchased 10 kilograms of ganja from an unknown seller in the Berhampur forest at Rs 3,000 per kilogram, packing it into seven separate packets stored in two backpacks. The accused had initially been a consumer of ganja, but shifted to trafficking it within Hyderabad and other districts to make easy money.

This arrest comes amid increased vigilance by authorities due to a spike in drug peddling around major festivals in Telangana, when demand for contraband surges. The operation fits into a broader crackdown on inter-state narcotics rackets using major train routes, with multiple incidents reported recently involving substantial hauls of ganja at Secunderabad railway station.

Police emphasised that the surveillance and random checks across platforms and trains would continue, focusing on stemming the flow of narcotics into Telangana from other states during festival times. Both accused are being further interrogated to uncover their supply network and contacts in Odisha.