DRI seizes 522 kg of ganja in Nagpur, two people arrested!

The Nagpur Regional Unit and Mumbai Zonal Unit of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Saturday busted an inter-state drug smuggling ring and seized over 522 kg of ganja worth approximately Rs 2.61 crore.

Acting on specific intelligence, DRI officials intercepted a long-platform truck going to Maharashtra via National Highway 53 from Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border. This vehicle was stopped at Mathani toll plaza near Mauda in Nagpur district.

Upon a thorough search of the truck, officials found more than 522 kilograms of ganja hidden in a specially designed secret compartment. It is being told that this narcotic substance was being transported under an inter-state drug smuggling network, which operates in the Odisha-Central India corridor and supplies narcotics to Maharashtra.

Based on investigation, two people associated with the smuggling network were arrested. During interrogation, the accused allegedly confessed to their role in the illegal transportation of narcotics. They have been arrested under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985 and further investigation is underway to identify other members of the syndicate.

This recent seizure is another in a series of major anti-drug operations conducted by the DRI in the last few months.

Earlier, on May 31, DRI had seized 104.9 kg of ganja in Bihar and arrested two accused in the case.

In another significant operation on April 13, DRI’s Nagpur Regional Unit busted an inter-state drug smuggling racket and seized 853 grams of cocaine worth approximately Rs 4.26 crore.

According to officials, this operation was conducted on the basis of specific intelligence information. DRI officials stopped an Indian woman traveling in train number 22692 Hazrat Nizamuddin-KSR Bengaluru Rajdhani Express passing through Nagpur railway station on April 12.

The officers suspected that the passenger was carrying drugs hidden in her luggage, so they boarded the train and asked her to get down for further investigation. After this she landed at Ajni railway station, where her luggage was searched closely.

During the search, officials found two shampoo bottles in his luggage that seemed unusually heavy. After draining the liquid from them, officials found 50 sealed yellow capsules hidden inside the bottles. Further investigation confirmed the presence of cocaine, following which they were seized and an investigation into the matter was initiated.