Telangana: Gangster with firearms caught in Kothagudem ganja case

In Kothagudem, Telangana, excise officials arrested gangster Bilal VS of Kerala and two accomplices with 106 kg of ganja, six firearms, cash, and vehicles. The accused revealed a ganja supply route from Odisha to Tamil Nadu. Investigations and judicial remand are underway.

Kothagudem: For the first time in the State, a gangster with an extensive criminal record operating in Tamil Nadu and Kerala was caught with six firearms, along with two accomplices, in a ganja case in Kothagudem district.

The trio was apprehended by the Khammam Prohibition and Excise Department’s enforcement officials during vehicle inspections at Paloncha on Thursday. Officials stopped a goods van and a car, seizing about 106 kg of ganja. The three suspects were taken into custody and questioned, the excise officials said during a media briefing.

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During interrogation, Bilal VS of Ernakulam, Kerala, and Shyam Sundar and Kasinandan Santosh of Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, revealed that they procured ganja from Odisha to transport it to Trichy via Bhadrachalam, Kothagudem, Khammam, and Chennai.

The accused have a long criminal history. Bilal has over 100 cases registered against him, underwent 28 punishments, and was recently released after serving an eight-year jail term. Bilal reportedly purchased firearms from Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, while Shyam Sundar is well-known in the ganja trade. The third accused was the driver. Another accomplice, James of Trichy, who was Shyam Sundar’s partner, is absconding and has a long criminal record.

The seized ganja is valued at Rs 53 lakh. Authorities also confiscated two vehicles, Rs 35,500 in cash, 40 bullets, 12 empty magazines, and six firearms, which will be handed over to Paloncha police for further investigation. The accused were sent to court for judicial remand.

Excise Commissioner C. Hari Kiran, Enforcement Director Shahnawaz Qasim, and Deputy Commissioner G. Janardhan Reddy appreciated Assistant Commissioner G. Ganesh, Inspector S. Ramesh, Sub-Inspector Ch. Srihari Rao, and staff Karim, Balu, Sudheer, Venkateswarlu, Hanumantha Rao, Vijay, Harish, Veerababu, and Upender for apprehending the accused.