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A group of six engineering students from Visakhapatnam were arrested for smuggling ganja by the Dumbriguda Police, on Tuesday. Speaking to the media, the Dumbriguda Sub-Inspector (SI), Gopala Rao said that the youth procured ganja from Araku and were returning by car to the city. Acting on a tipoff, the police tracked down the vehicle, near Chaparai Waterfalls, and nabbed the Vizag engineering students. Reportedly, 5 kg of ganja, which is said to be worth Rs 1 lakh, and a vapouriser were found.
The six individuals were taken into remand and produced at Araku Magistrate Court. Upon the court’s orders, the accused were interrogated. The Vizag engineering students revealed that they had been selling the drug in small packs for a minimum of Rs 200. The Sub-Inspector further added that the youth, resorting to drug abuse, are turning into peddlers in order to fund their addiction.
Of late, there have been instances where ganja, grown in the Visakhapatnam Agency was being smuggled to other states. Earlier in December, another gang of four drug peddlers was caught by the City Task Force (CTF) in Visakhapatnam. The officials recovered over 250 kg of cannabis from their possession at the stock point in Madhavadhara. The gang had bought the substance from Araku and planned to store the stock temporarily, before bootlegging it. Cracking the whip on these illegal activities, the Prohibition and Excise Department had set up surveillance on the vehicles operating, especially in the Agency areas.
