Inter-State Smuggling Network Busted, 4 Held With 100 kg Ganja

Visakhapatnam: Vizianagaram district police busted an inter-state marijuana smuggling network, arresting four individuals and seizing 100 kg of ganja worth lakhs of rupees.

The arrests were made by Bondapalli police on Saturday during vehicle checks at Gotlam Bypass Road Junction based on a tip-off about drug transportation from Odisha to Tamil Nadu.

DSP Jindal told the media, "Our officers intercepted a car with Maharashtra registration number and seized 100 kg of ganja packed in 48 packets from it, along with four mobile phones, `2,500 in cash and the vehicle used for transportation," the SP said. The arrested were indentified as Manoranjan Mishra, 28, from Odisha, who is kingpin of the network, Dalai Ramaraju, 45, from Anakapalli district Virumandi Gopi, 49, from Visakhapatnam and Pandiam Manikyam, 36, from Tamil Nadu.

Police investigations revealed an organised smuggling operation spanning three states, involved multiple layers of coordination between suppliers in Odisha and distributors in Tamil Nadu, the police said. "Dalai Ramaraju and Virumandi Gopi, who are friends, had connections with Sudarshan Khora from Koraput district.

Through this contact, they would procure ganja and arrange its transportation using heavy vehicles with the help of Pandian Manikyam from TN," the SP explained. Police were searching for Piyush Padal, who assisted in the illegal transportation, and Sudarshan Bhorala identified as the main supplier who procured and supplied ganja from Odisha.