Ganja peddler arrested, 120 kgs of substance seized

In a joint operation, the Task Force and Atmakur police have arrested a notorious ganja smuggler and seized 120 kilograms of dry ganja.

Warangal: In a joint operation, the Task Force and Atmakur police have arrested a notorious ganja smuggler and seized 120 kilograms of dry ganja with an estimated value of Rs 24 lakh in the district on Monday. The arrested was identified as Chekka Kumaraswamy (38), a resident of Pandikunta village in Mulugu district. Kumaraswamy, previously made a living as a taxi driver, succumbed to the allure of quick money and hatched a plan to procure ganja at a lower price from Kalimela area in Odisha. He then planned to smuggle the illicit substance into Telangana and Maharashtra states, where it could be sold at exorbitant prices.

Police Commissioner AV Ranganath said that Kumaraswamy had been engaged in this illicit trade for the past eight years. Over time, he became a seasoned operator, repeatedly transporting ganja from Odisha to Hyderabad. He was arrested several times in the past. In fact, Kumaraswamy had previously served a 30-month sentence in the infamous Yerawada jail in Pune, Maharashtra. Unfortunately, his release did not serve as a deterrent, and he resumed his unlawful activities.

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Working in collaboration with Ganesh alias Gannu, another notorious figure hailing from Odisha, Kumaraswamy managed to procure the massive haul of 120 kgs of ganja, and made the substance into two kg packets and meticulously concealed them in the car.

However, the Task Force team apprehended him during a special vehicle inspection at Katakshpur pond area in the Atmakur mandal limits. Despite their best efforts, the car driver, Duppati Mohan, managed to slip away from them.