Rs 25 lakh worth ganja seized, four held

Ongole: Prakasam district SP Siddharth Kaushal announced that the Ongole police arrested a four-member ganja smuggling gang after movie style chase when they tried to escape from a check post in high speed.

Speaking to media here on Friday, Siddharth Kaushal explained that credible information was received that ganja smugglers were transporting the substance procured from the forest are of Addateegala, Rampachodavaram, Rajavommangi and nearby villages in West Godavari district to Tamil Nadu.

Under the supervision of Ongole DSP K V V N V Prasad, Ongole CI P Subbarao and N G Padu SI G Somasekhar set up a check post at Uppugundur village on Chirala-Ongole route along with their staff and started checking the vehicles.

On seeing the check post, a Maruti Swift Desire car and a lorry increased the speed and crossed the police without stopping.

The NG Padu SI and constables chased the vehicles for six kilometre and detained the lorry and car and arrested four persons, Tangaiah Raj Tewar, Karthik Kanagaraj, Jeyabal Arivalahan, Devaraj Alagumulai, of Kambam town in Uttamapalyam mandal of Theni district in Tamil Nadu.

After checking the vehicles, the police found 400 kg ganja, which is worth around Rs 25 lakh in the market.

The SP said that the accused had confessed that they had been transporting the ganja from Diwancheruvu of Rajamahendravaram for a year and were handing over the load to Kabir in Tamil Nadu, who gives a wage of Rs 1 lakh each every time.