Visakhapatnam: For the first time in Andhra Pradesh, officials of Prohibition and Excise department on Monday seized 95 kg of hashish oil (a thick liquid made from dissolving marijuana in solvents including acetone and alcohol) and arr-ested three persons when the trio was preparing the product in a remote area of Alagam of Luvvasingi panchayat in G. Madugula mandal in Vizag.
The Excise officials also seized about 290-kg ganja and machinery used for the manufacture of hashish oil.
The market price in national market of the seized hashish oil is over Rs 2 crore to Rs 3 crore. The arrested were identified as V. Chinna Rao (22), M. Pedaraju (50) and K. Arun Kumar (50), all natives of the Alagam area in Madugula mandal.
An accused, U. Raja Rao, managed to flee from the spot. On concrete information, a team of 30 officials led by assistant commissioner of excise S.V.V.N. Babji Rao carried out a surprise raid and seized the oil.
Mr Babji Rao said the trio procured machinery from kingpins of the illegal trade in Kerala and Tamil Nadu and had been preparing the hashish oil for the past few months. The officials came to know that the trio was trained by some persons from Kerala.
“There are more youths linked to this gang and we are unable to reveal more details in this regard now as it will affect the investigation. The hashish oil gives more kick and it will be consumed by mixing in the cigarettes. The ganja smuggles have prepared the oil for easy transportation by evading the enforcement officials as most of the people were unaware about the oil,” Mr Babji Rao said.
