Khammam police seize 450 kg ganja in six months

Khammam police seized 450 kg of ganja worth Rs. 2.24 crore and arrested 123 persons in 55 cases over the past six months. Commissioner of Police Sunil Dutt said special teams have been formed to eliminate ganja trafficking and strengthen anti-drug enforcement.

Khammam: Commissioner of Police Sunil Dutt stated that the police department has been cracking down heavily on ganja trafficking and the sale of narcotics to safeguard the future of the youth.

Surveillance has been intensified on border transit routes across the district, and continuous vehicle checks are being conducted on highways to apprehend illegal trafficking gangs. Secret operations are also being carried out to gather intelligence on ganja trafficking routes, involving the Task Force, Eagle Force and local police, he said.

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In the last six months, 450 kg of ganja worth Rs. 2.24 crore was seized and 123 persons were arrested in 55 cases. Legal action was taken against 20 transporters, 60 sellers and over 70 consumers of ganja. Special teams were formed to identify the sources of ganja and nip the problem in the bud.

The teams would conduct field raids and question suspicious individuals. They have already made preliminary identifications regarding the sources of the trade and aim to permanently eradicate the menace by rooting out the trafficking gangs, Sunil Dutt noted.

He emphasised the need to keep a close watch on the movements of the youth, noting that family members bear the responsibility of protecting them from falling prey to harmful addictions. He called for collective efforts to transform the district into a ganja-free zone.

The public should provide information regarding anyone involved in the transport, sale or cultivation of ganja, and the informants’ identities would be kept confidential. Cases under the NDPS Act were being registered against those selling ganja, and the PD Act would be invoked against those involved in its trafficking, the CP said.

Noting that cannabis users were prone to committing crimes, Sunil Dutt called for extensive awareness programmes to curb the issue. Plans were in place to deploy plainclothes police officers to identify suppliers who secretly sell ganja to addicted youth and to seize stockpiles, he added.