Three held, liquid ganja worth Rs 14.35L seized

Paderu: Based on information received by Pedabayalu Police Station Sub-Inspector Kolli Ramana, police conducted vehicle checks near the Sheetagunta Odisha bridge on the main road at Sitagunta Panchayat in Pedabayalu mandal on Wednesday and apprehended three persons, carrying two bags filled with liquid ganja (hashish oil).

Police seized 28.710 kilograms of liquid ganja and two android mobile phones from the accused. The seized contraband is estimated to be worth around Rs 14.35 lakh, SI Ramana said. A case has been registered against the trio under the NDPS Act.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the accused were transporting the liquid ganja from Chintaguruvu, Rayamamidi Junction, Gomangi, Lakshmipeta, Kottaput, and Pedabayalu towards Padua in the Koraput district of Odisha. On Thursday, the accused were produced before the court and remanded to judicial custody. They were later shifted to the Visakhapatnam Central Jail. Police said that non-local drug traffickers are luring local youth in the agency areas by offering easy money and using them as agents for ganja transportation. Officials urged parents to closely monitor their children’s behaviour and associations. They appealed to the public to cooperate in eradicating ganja cultivation, transport, and consumption.