DRI seizes Rs 1.5 crore worth dry ganja in Visakhapatnam

A truck carrying 1,015 kg of dry ganja (cannabis) was intercepted on Tuesday by officers of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in Visakhapatnam. The seized contraband is said to be worth Rs. 1.52 crore. The truck was intercepted at NAD Junction as it was heading towards Srikakulam.

Acting on a tipoff, officers of DRI’s Visakhapatnam Regional Unit launched an operation and tracked down a truck registered in Madhya Pradesh. Upon searching the truck, officers found the luggage compartment to be empty but after interrogating the driver, a partition was discovered near the driver’s cabin with an opening on the top. According to the truck driver, the partition was specially designed to allow for ganja to pass through check-posts without being discovered. 1,015 kg of dry ganja was found concealed inside the partition, packed in 365 brown packets.

The truck driver claims that the contraband seized was being transported from the tribal areas in Visakhapatnam Agency to Madhya Pradesh. DRI officers confiscated the ganja and put the truck driver into custody for further questioning.

Production, Possession, Trade, Transport and Consumption of Ganja is banned under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. DRI has been active in toning down the ganja trade in Visakhapatnam but the ever-increasing demand continues to fuel the trade.