Railway police seizes ganja worth ₹62 lakhs, arrest duo in Secunderabad

HYDERABAD: As part of a special drive of the Railway Protection Force in Secunderabad, the all-women Shakti team seized narcotics substances from the Konark Express and detained two persons at the Kazipet Railway Station.

The RPF said the suspects were carrying six heavy bags in the S7 coach of the train and upon opening them, found 31 packs of dried marijuana, which was being transported from Ichhapur to Mumbai.

The contraband was worth ₹62 lakhs in the black market, they said.

The suspects were handed over to the Kazipet GRP, who booked them under the NDPS Act, Debashmita Chattopadhyay Banerjee, senior security commissioner for the Secunderabad division, said.

This year, the Secunderabad RPF has recovered narcotics consignments in 21 incidents, valued at ₹6.07 crore, and arrested 23 persons, while in 2022, there were 35 incidents, with narcotics valued at ₹7.84 crore and 41 people arrested in all.

RPF has been empowered to conduct search, seizure and arrest under NDPS Act since April 2019 and has been actively participating in the efforts of the government to restrict this illegal trade.

“Narcotics not only destroy the health of youth, they also damage the economy and the well-being of the nation. Drug addiction has far-reaching implications, as it affects both the body and the mental health of the person. RPF, Secunderabad Division intensified its checks in trains in coordination with NCB and other law enforcement agencies to target drug peddlers involved in this illegal trade,” Debashmita said.