Two held with Rs 83 lakh hybrid ganja in Thane

Thane, Oct 16 (PTI) Police have arrested two men after seizing high-grade hybrid ganja valued at Rs 83 lakh from their possession in Maharashtra's Thane district, officials said on Thursday.

A police team noticed them moving suspiciously on a scooter near the Mankoli flyover in Bhiwandi area late Tuesday night.

"When our team stopped them and conducted a search, we found packets of hybrid ganja, weighing 833 gm, concealed inside the scooter," an official from Narpoli police station said.

"The duo had brought the contraband for sale in the local market. The total value of the seized material is estimated at Rs 83.3 lakh," he said.

The police immediately took the two men, identified as Akash Gupta (24) and Harsh Bramhane (26), both residents of Ulhasnagar, into custody and seized the narcotics and the scooter, the official said.

A preliminary investigation suggested the two men were part of a small-scale distribution network operating between Ulhasnagar and Bhiwandi in the district, the police said.

"We are now tracing the source of the contraband and identifying the intended buyers," the official said.

The accused have been booked under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, he added. PTI COR GK