Cops bust inter-state marijuana smuggling racket; 13 held

Thane, Aug 25 (PTI) Police on Monday claimed to have busted an inter-state gang involved in marijuana smuggling by arresting 13 individuals from Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, leading to the seizure of 115 kg ganja, a pistol, and bullets, a Thane district official said.

The seized items include marijuana with an estimated value of Rs 28.75 lakh, walkie-talkies, two cars, and two-wheelers, collectively valued at Rs 70 lakh. Additional Commissioner of Police Sanjay Jadhav stated that the gang operated in Kalyan and Thane cities with links in Solapur, Badlapur, and even Visakhapatnam.

He said police initially arrested three individuals near Ambivli railway station in Thane district on August 2 and seized a large quantity of ganja. A case was registered under the provisions of the NDPS Act and the Arms Act.

"Following the initial arrests, police used technical surveillance and intelligence inputs to trace other gang members across multiple locations," he said.

The police officer said members of the gang were sourcing and transporting ganja from the forests of Visakhapatnam.

Jadhav said the arrested individuals were involved in various stages of drug trafficking operations. PTI COR NSK