Cops job gets tough with peddlers finding bizzare ways to smuggle ganja

Suryapet: Though the Suryapet district is on the rader of rapid development, off late it has been becoming famous for all the wrong reasons, especially for the transportation of cannabis (ganja).

Daily thousands of vehicles, especially from neighbouring Andhra Pardesh, pass through the national highway 65 that goes through the district. Taking advantage of heavy rush of vehicles on highway, ganja peddlars are transporting the contraband secretively to earn quick bucks.

Though the district police have been successful in arresting the ganja smugglers and seizing the contraband, the quantity of seized marijuana by the cops is very less when compared to ganja that was crossing the boarders in other ways.

In the last one-and-a-half years, district police seized quintals of marijuana on Suryapet, Kodad and Huzurnagar of Hyderabad- Vijayawada road and Khammam-Suryapet road. As per the statistics given by police, as many as three quintals of marijuana was seized so far.

Few days ago, a vehicle transporting the marijuana at engine point suddenly caught fire in the midnight. Though no one was injured in the incident, it revealed one of the secret modes of transportation of ganja.

While police arrested a woman selling the marijuana to engineering students a few days ago, they also seized 248 kg of ganja from special racks embedded below the base of a Bolero vehicle and arrested the driver and other two culprits.

During the investigation, the accused revealed that ganja was being transported regularly from Chintapally of Visakhapatnam of AP in different vehicles and in different modes. The police opined that the value of 248 kg of marijuana in open market would be Rs 15 Lakh, but in black market it could be Rs 1.5 crore.

Earlier in erstwhile Nalgonda district, ganja was illegally transported through Suryapet, Bhongir, Miryalaguda and Devarakonda. Whereas in Suryapet district, it is being transported in huge quantities through Warangal, Khammam and AP boarder areas using public transport system. There are allegations that peddlers targeting engineering and degree students.

Suryapet district SP Parimala Hana Nuthan, speaking to The Hans India, said frequent vehicle checks has been carried out within the district and at boarders. Raids were carried out every day and suspect were questioned regularly to check the illegal transportation of cannabis through the district.