Hybrid ganja worth Rs 76 lakh confiscated in Thane; 1 arrested

Thane, Nov 5 (PTI) Police have seized hybrid ganja valued at over Rs 76 lakh in the illicit market and arrested one person in Thane city, officials said on Wednesday.

The Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure and arrest on November 3 near a housing complex within the jurisdiction of the Kapurbawdi police station, they said, adding three accomplices of the arrested man managed to escape during the operation.

An officer with the Kapurbawdi police station said, "When ANC officials were carrying out a patrolling duty, they spotted a man selling contraband and caught him. Three others who were with him fled, and the police were looking out for them." Police have registered an FIR under provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act against the arrested accused, Nitesh Veerbahadur Singh (31), a resident of Kalyan town, and his accomplices.

The ANC seized hybrid ganja -- a strain created by crossbreeding different cannabis varieties -- weighing 755 grams with a total street value estimated at Rs 76,40,000. In addition to the drug, the police confiscated mobile phones worth Rs 1,00,000, he said. PTI COR RSY