The Vijayawada city police nabbed as many as seven ganja peddlers during a vehicle inspection at Krishnalanka and Unguturu police station limits.
DCP (L&O) Gajarao Bhupal said, "90 kgs of ganja were seized in two cases. Krishnalanka police have arrested 4 people and seized 40 kgs of ganja while Unguturu police have seized 50kg and arrested three people".
According to police, ganja is being cultivated in Vizag district’s rural areas. Police are investigating who the mastermind is behind the ganja racket.
Following a tip-off, Krishnalanka police on Sunday night arrested four including Subbu Prabhakaran (37) belonging to Tamil Nadus' Usalampatti of Madurai district. They were arrested at Kanaka Durga bridge during a vehicle-check. The three others hail from Andhra's Vizag districts' GK Veedi and Chintapalli. The three other accused were identified as Korra Appalaswamy (20,) Vantala Kamal Hasan (30) and Nadella Tarun (20).
On the same day, Unguturu police during a vehicle-check near Avutupalli bus stop arrested three persons with 50 kgs of ganja. "They were caught while waiting for bus towards Chennai," stated the police.
In this case the three accused who were allegedly smuggling ganja were identified as Kannuri Venkata Ramana (40) of Goligonda Mandals Kotta Ellavaram, while Pangi Suresh (35) and Pangi Sattibabu (25) are from Chintapalli Mandals' Kotagunnalu colony and Chinta Valasa respectively.
Speaking to TNM, Vijayawada South Zone ACP K Srinivas Rao said, "Both were separate cases , we suspect there are others behind this smuggling , we are probing further to catch them."
He added, "The ganja was being smuggled to different parts of Tamil Nadu and other places in Andhra Pradesh."
Earlier in February, the Commissioners Task Force had nabbed two ganja peddlers and seized 300 kgs of ganja.