Kothagudem: Ganja worth Rs 53.15 lakh seized, two arrested

Police seized dry ganja worth Rs 53.15 lakh and arrested two smugglers at Jinkalagudem of Burgampad mandal in the district on Wednesday.

Kothagudem: Police seized dry ganja worth Rs 53.15 lakh and arrested two smugglers at Jinkalagudem of Burgampad mandal in the district on Wednesday.

A statement from police said that during vehicle inspections at Morampalli banjar junction, the local SI, P Santhosh and staff tried to stop a goods van coming from Bhadrachalam to inspect it. But the van driver did not stop the vehicle and sped away.

The police chased and intercepted the vehicle at Jinkalagudem SRLIP bridge and found ganja weighing about 265.74 kg in the van. During questioning, the van driver and its cleaner confessed to police that they were smuggling ganja from Chintoor in AP to Osmanabad in Maharashtra.

The driver, Mahadev Mohan of Govardhanwadi and cleaner Kishan Kalidas Pawar of Ter village of Osmanabad taluk revealed that their employer, Pappu Mama and his accomplice Satyajith of Songiri of Bhum taluk bought ganja at Chintoor and went to Osmanabad ahead of them.

Police booked a case against the driver and cleaner along with Pappu Mama, Satyajih and the van owner Abhiram Pawar. The van and two mobile phones were seized and the arrested would be sent to judicial custody, police said.