20.86 kg ganja seized at Kalyan railway station near Mumbai; two held

Thane: A total of 20.86 kg of ganja has been recovered from two passengers at Kalyan station, on the outskirts of Mumbai, the Government Railway Police said on Friday.

The seizure was made on Tuesday after the duo, identified as Mehtab Alam Irshad Alam Sheikh (35) from Mumbra in Maharashtra’s Thane district, and Lal Ahmed Momin Amin Kotki (27), a resident of Gulbarga in Karnataka, got down from the Puri Express, the GRP said.

They were carrying two unusually large bags, and their behaviour also appeared suspicious, said officials.

An inspection of the bags led to the recovery of 20.86 kg of ganja valued at Rs 4.17 lakh, an official said, adding that the Sheikh and Kotki have been arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

Investigations are underway to trace the origin of the banned substance and identify the intended recipients or distribution network, the GRP added.