21 kg ganja seized, four arrested in Hyderabad
Hyderabad, Sept 12 (TNT): Habeeb Nagar Police on Saturday seized 21 kg of ganja and arrested four persons, including two alleged suppliers from Maharashtra, while reportedly attempting to distribute the contraband to local peddlers in the city.
Acting on credible information about the arrival of ganja suppliers at Mangerbasti, a police team conducted a raid and apprehended the four accused before the contraband could be distributed, police said.
The arrested were identified as Sandeep Nandha Kishore Bhongade (38), a kirana shop owner, and Rahul Rajesh Patil (24), an X-ray technician, both from Maharashtra, and Kamble Umesh (29), a band worker, and Kamble Suraj (24), a Swiggy delivery executive, both residents of Mangerbasti, Afzalsagar, Mallepally, Hyderabad.
Police seized 11 kg of ganja and Rs 10,000 in cash from Bhongade and 10 kg of ganja and Rs 15,000 from Patil. Four mobile phones, a blue-coloured briefcase and a jute bag were also seized.
According to police, Bhongade and Patil allegedly procured the ganja in Maharashtra at Rs 20,000 per kg and brought it to Hyderabad on September 11 by concealing it in a briefcase and jute bag.
They allegedly handed over the contraband to Umesh and Suraj for Rs 40,000 per kg. The latter allegedly concealed the ganja at a house in Mangerbasti and were awaiting its distribution to local peddlers when police arrested them.
Police said further investigation was under way to trace the source of the ganja, intended recipients and other persons involved in the network. More arrests could follow based on the investigation.
A case was registered at Habeeb Nagar Police Station under relevant provisions of the NDPS Act.
Asifnagar Division ACP K. Srinivas said police would continue raids and enforcement measures against the sale, transportation, storage and procurement of narcotic substances and appealed to the public to share credible information with the police.
TNT TS
