Paderu (ASR District): In a concerted effort to crack down on illegal trafficking of Ganja, a joint operation was carried out at Araku Railway Station on Thursday. The operation, conducted from 9 AM to 6 PM, involved personnel from the Araku Valley Police Station, Government Railway Police (GRP), and Railway Protection Force (RPF), with assistance from the Dog Squad.

As part of the ‘Joint Rail-Based Operation’, the team thoroughly checked around 100 to 150 bags and monitored suspicious individuals traveling in 13 coaches and one wagon of trains arriving and departing from the station throughout the day.

The inspection was aimed at detecting and preventing the smuggling of Ganja through rail transport, a growing concern in the region. Senior police officials, including Alluri Sitarama Raju District Superintendent of Police Amit Bardar, and Paderu Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Sheikh Shabhaj Ahmed, oversaw the checks. RPF Sub-Inspector P Raju and other officers from the respective departments also participated in the operation. Officials stated that such coordinated efforts will continue regularly to ensure effective control over narcotics trafficking in the tribal region.