Karnataka: Two held with 8.7 kg ganja

Mangaluru (Karnataka), Oct 9 (PTI) Two men were arrested and 8.79 kg of ganja were seized from them on Thursday, police said.

The arrests were made after the suspects, identified as Abdul Majeed and Abdul Sadiq, were found riding a motorcycle without helmets near Goodinabali around 11.50 am, they said.

When the police signalled them to stop, the duo sped away towards a mud road near Kaikamba railway station. They were subsequently intercepted and questioned, police said.

"During interrogation, the suspects admitted that they were transporting ganja for sale," a police official said.

He added that the accused had earlier fled with a consignment of ganja from a Bolero pickup on September 25 when excise officials attempted to intercept them. The contraband had reportedly been hidden at Majeed's residence in Nandavar.

The police recovered five plastic-wrapped bundles of ganja weighing 8.79 kg, estimated to be worth Rs 88,700, along with the motorcycle valued at Rs 1 lakh. The total value of seized property is estimated at Rs 2.17 lakh, they said.

The Bantwal Town Police have registered a case in this regard, and the arrested accused have been remanded to judicial custody, police added. PTI COR AMP KH