Kakinada, Aug 26 (Representative) The Peddapuram Sub Division police intercepted a lorry near Krishnavaram toll plaza on the national highway in the wee hours of Wednesday and seized 620 kgs of Ganja packed in 21 bags we worth over Rs12.40 lakhs, police said. Of the three ganja smugglers, one held and the others escaped under the cover of darkness. The police team headed by sub divisional police officer Aritakula Srinivasarao, special branch DSP Ambika Prasad, Jaggampet circle Inspector Suresh Babu, Kirlampudi sub inspector Appalaraju have arrested the accused Abdul kalim Nazir Shaik (51) native of Gulisthan nagar, Amaravati, Maharashtra state. They acted on an alert message from the SP Ravindranath Babu.
The accused has reportedly confessed that the Ganja was purchased at Darakonda village in Visakhapatnam agency area and being transported to a destination in Maharashtra state. Of the other two accused who are at large- one is from Darakonda in Visakhapatnam agency and the other from Amaravati in Maharashtra. Two police teams were constituted to nab the two accused , police said . While complimenting the police team for the huge haul of Ganja, the SP Ravindranath Babu said that the police would come down heavily on the Ganja smugglers and in addition to initiating stern action under the law, rowdy sheets also would be opened against those involved in such illegal activity. He said strict vigil was kept on the movement of vehicles on the national highway, especially on those coming from agency areas, as a part of the strategy to combat the menace of ganja smuggling.