Inter-State ganja racket busted, four arrested in Warangal

Warangal Police Commissioner P Pramod Kumar said Ganapathi, a habitual offender, was arrested several times by the Kangli police as well as police in Maharashtra and Karnataka as he used to grow ganja in his fields and sell it in the neighbouring Maharashtra and Karnataka States.

Warangal Urban: The Task Force police along with KUC police on Saturday arrested four smugglers of a five-member gang involved in ganja (marijuana) smuggling, and seized 200 kgs of ganja worth Rs 20 lakhs, a lorry and a car used for transporting the ganja.

The accused were identified as  Vawar Ganapathi of Pomya Thanda under Nagore village limits of Kandri mandal in Sangareddy district,  Dugyala Vinay Kumar of Thimmapur village of Venkatapur mandal in  Mulugu district,  A Ranjith of  Pomya Thanda, Nagore village of Sangareddy district, and Gaus Khan alias Bablu of Bidar district of Karnataka State. One more member of the gang, Mohammad Hakeem, of  Balanagar of  Hyderabad, is at large.

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Presenting the accused before the media here on Saturday, Warangal Police Commissioner P Pramod Kumar said Ganapathi, a habitual offender, was arrested several times by the Kangli police as well as police in Maharashtra and Karnataka as he used to grow ganja in his fields and sell it in the neighbouring Maharashtra and Karnataka States.

“He was arrested by Parkal police too in 2009 for smuggling ganja, and by the Maredumilli police and sent to Rajahmundry prison in 2018. Meanwhile, he got acquainted with another accused Hakim, a lorry owner cum driver of his village, in prison,” the CP said, adding that Ganapathi again started smuggling ganja after his release from prison.

“Ganapathi along with another accused Vinay Kumar bought 200 kg of ganja from Dharakonda area near Odisha border four days ago and prepared 100 packets containing two kgs each. The gang was transporting the ganja in a lorry (50 packets) and in a car (50 packets) to Maharashtra via Rajahmundry, Kothaguda, Mulugu and Warangal,” he said and added that the police team had conducted vehicle checkup near Bheemaram outer ring road (ORR) near Warangal city in the early hours of Saturday, on receiving specific information about the ganja smuggling, and nabbed the accused.

“More than eight cases were registered against Ganapathy  in Telangana, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and the Government  Railway Police (GRP),” the CP said. He also appreciated the Task Force Inspectors Nandi Ram Naik, Madhu, Ramakrishna and other staff of the team for busting the ganja racket.

 

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