Hyderabad: Ganja smuggling in Nizamabad took a new turn after excise police arrested five persons, including two women, with 13 kg of marijuana near the Kantheshwar bypass.
Acting on specific information, excise officials intercepted the group while they were transporting ganja. Officials said women had entered the ganja smuggling network, which earlier involved only men.
District Excise Superintendent Mallareddy said the accused sourced the contraband from Madhya Pradesh. He said the group planned to sell the ganja in Nizamabad.
Ganja smuggling route traced via Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra
According to excise officials, the accused procured ganja from Sirpur in Madhya Pradesh. They transported it through Nanded before entering Telangana.
A1 and A2, identified as Puja Pawar and Durpara Bai Jadhav, bought the ganja from an unidentified person. They paid ₹9,000 per kg for the contraband.
Later, they met A3 and A4, Kishan Motiram Dale and Indrajit Tagre, at Kinwat. The group travelled by bus to Nirmal and then reached Nizamabad.
Officials said A5, Manja Venkataram from Chadmal village in Gandhari mandal of Kamareddy district, bought the ganja near a Reliance Mart. He allegedly paid ₹15,000 per kg.
During questioning, he told police he planned to sell the ganja at ₹20,000 per kg. Excise teams seized 13 kg of ganja and five mobile phones from the accused.
Officials said excise CI Swapna, SIs Mallesh and Sunita, and other staff took part in the operation.
Police identified the arrested persons as Puja Pawar from Devula Thanda in Neradigonda mandal, another Puja Pawar from Kupti (K) village, Kishan Motiram Dale from Kinwat, Indrajit Tagre from Umarkhed in Yavatmal district, and Manja Venkataram from Chadmal village.