Jashpur, Oct 2 (PTI) Two persons were arrested in Chhattisgarh’s Jashpur district on Friday allegedly with 440.63 kg of ganja worth around Rs 2.20 crore, a police official said.
Mohammad Wasim (28) and Mohammad Asif (34), residents of Mundera village in Prayagraj district of Uttar Pradesh, were held at Lavakera police checkpost by personnel of Anti-Narcotics Unit and Tapkara police station, said Jashpur Senior Superintendent of Police Lal Umed Singh.
They were travelling in a mini-truck from Odisha towards Uttar Pradesh and had concealed the contraband beneath chilli sacks, he said.
The estimated value of the ganja is Rs 2.20 crore, the SSP said, adding that a case was registered under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act at Tapkara police station.
“They have claimed the ganja was procured from Odisha’s Baudh region and was being transported to Prayagraj in UP. Further probe is on to establish the source of the contraband, its intended recipients and the involvement of other persons,” he said.
An anti-narcotics team has been deployed at Lavakera checkpost, located close to the Odisha border, and regular checks are being conducted on suspicious vehicles as part of the crackdown on drug trafficking, Singh added.
Since January this year, Jashpur police has registered 16 cases related to ganja smuggling, seized 1,906 kg of the contraband valued at around Rs 8 crore and arrested 22 alleged smugglers, the official added.
“Seventeen cars and a pickup vehicle allegedly used in smuggling have also been seized. The police’s ‘Operation Aaghat’ anti-narcotics drive is continuing,” the official said. PTI COR BNM
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