Acting on a tip-off, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Sunday arrested three ganja smugglers and seized 808 kilos of contraband from their possession, valued at Rs 1.62 crore in the grey market.
The ganja on a fruit truck was being smuggled to Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Acting on specific intelligence, DRI officials intercepted the truck at the Krishnavaram Toll Plaza in Odisha-Andhra border.
The smugglers in a pilot vehicle accompanying the truck tried to evade the officers by ramming through the toll gate. However, after an hour-long chase, the DRI officials apprehended the two suspects who were escorting the truck.
Both the truck and the pilot car have been seized along with the ganja. The driver of the truck and the two suspects admitted to transporting the ganja illegally to Odisha.
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“The ganja, also known as Cannabis, along with two vehicles, was seized under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. The accused have been remanded to judicial custody for 12 days and further investigations are underway, the DRI said in a press release.