Odisha man held with 912 kg ganja in Andhra

VISAKHAPATNAM: In a major ganja bust, Anakapalle police nabbed two persons involved in the transportation of the contraband. The crackdown at Gullepalli Junction in Sabbavaram on August 25, resulted in the confiscation of 456 packets of ganja, weighing a total of 912 kg, with an estimated market value of Rs 45.6 lakh.

The arrested persons have been identified as Bharavath Tharun (22), a lorry driver from Kondapuram village in Telangana, and Malleswara Rao (24) from Panasapattu village in Odisha. The lorry, along with four mobile phones and other items, was seized.

Anakapalle SP Deepika said based on a tip-off, a team of Sabbavaram police was deployed at Gullepalli Junction to intercept a truck travelling from Kothavalasa towards Sabbavaram. Upon inspection, police found the consignment of ganja hidden in the vehicle’s cabin.

A case has been registered under Sections 20 (b) (ii) (c) read with 8 (c) & 25 of the NDPS Act-1985.

SP Deepika revealed that police are currently interrogating the suspects to gather more details regarding the network involved in the illegal transportation. Preliminary investigation indicates that the ganja was loaded in Odisha and transported through the Alluri Sitarama Raju district before entering Anakapalle.