Ganja worth Rs 15 lakh seized at Muthangi

Patancheru: Ganja worth Rs 15 lakh was caught in a joint operation by Excise and Enforcement officials at Muthangi Outer Ring Road toll gate on Saturday night. This was stated by excise deputy commissioner KAB Shashtri in a press conference held here at Excise office on Sunday.

Addressing media, KAB Shastri said that two persons who were carrying dry ganja – B Veerashetty of Zaheerabad and Neelaram Metre of Bidar - were arrested by the excise officials at the toll gate on receiving reliable information about the illegal smuggling activity.

Giving the details about the gang involved, he said that ganja is being transported from Andhra-Odisha border areas to Bidar in Karnataka and other places in Maharashtra state via Patancheru Industrial area. The gangs are supplying ganja in cars with fake registration numbers. Officials seized two vehicles, Innova and Mahindra Xylo, and caught 508 kg of ganja being carried in 254 packets.

However, the main culprits Bansilal of Zaheerabad, Raoof Khan and Sahadev from Karnataka state are at large and would be caught very soon, said Shastri. Excise deputy commissioner warned vehicle owners not to engage their vehicles in such illegal smuggling activities and the vehicle owners may get rigorous imprisonment up to 10 years under SDES Act.

Excise DSP Gayathri, local CI Seetharam Reddy, enforcement CIs Mohan Kumar, Ramesh Reddy, SIs Raju, Venkatesh, Vishwanath, excise staff and others were present at the press conference.