Ongole: Operation Parivartana launched to check ganja smuggling

Ongole: The police officers and Special Enforcement Bureau sleuths from the Prakasam district launched a special drive, Operation Parivartana, on the sale, storage and transportation of cannabis and illicit tobacco products. They conducted raids and searches at various places in all police stations' limits on Monday.

Following the directions of the SP Malika Garg, the police and SEB teams searched at the suspected grocery shops, pan shops near village suburbs, secluded areas and hot spots. They also inspected vehicles including the RTC buses, lorries, cars and stage carriers on routes prone to drug trafficking. The officers also conducted searches at the houses of the street-level ganja peddlers, suspects, old offenders and history sheeters in NDPS cases. The cops offered counselling to the suspects to adopt a good lifestyle and abstain from illegal businesses like the sale of cannabis, khaini, gutka and other banned products.

They warned that they would open rowdy sheets on them if they are found involved, and take strict action against them. The police officers in all police stations also conducted awareness programmes to the people in the villages on the ill-effects of cannabis and tobacco products, as part of Operation Parivartana.

The department officials announced that as part of Operation Parivarthana, they formed 92 teams with the police and SEB personnel, conducted inspections at 562 grocery shops and pan shops, 173 secluded places, hot spots and suspected places, along with the houses of old offenders in NDPS cases in the last ten years and bind over them.

Meanwhile, the Ongole Town I police found 500 gram of ganja at Vengamukkapalem near QIS College of Engineering and Technology and sent one accused to remand after producing the peddler before the court. The officers announced that Operation Parivartana would be carried out continuously in the district at railway stations, bus stations, parcel service centres etc while continuing the surveillance on old offenders. They asked the public to inform the police control room through Dial 100, if they come across any suspicious information or activity in their area.