Hyderabad: The Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF) at Secunderabad Railway Station busted an interstate ganja smuggling racket on Wednesday. They arrested a Mumbai-based peddler and seized 16.166 kg of dry ganja worth ₹8.08 lakh.
The joint operation took place on September 17 during a surprise check against drug trafficking on trains and platforms. Officers identified the accused as Asiruddin Takriddin Khan alias Chotu, 35, a resident of Wadala East, Antop Hill, Mumbai. He was transporting ganja from Bhubaneswar to Mumbai on the Konark Express.
Police said Khan, an illiterate labourer, was addicted to alcohol and drugs and had earlier been arrested in theft and assault cases. While serving jail time, he learned from fellow inmates about the cheap availability of ganja in Odisha. After his release, he used ₹1.3 lakh to travel to Bhubaneswar, where he purchased around 15.5 kg of ganja for ₹1.13 lakh. He divided it into 16 brown-taped packets, stuffed them in a trolley suitcase, and boarded the train.
Around 11:20 AM on September 17, GRP and RPF personnel intercepted him at Secunderabad Railway Station. During questioning, Khan admitted he was carrying ganja. Officials seized the 16.166 kg consignment along with a keypad mobile phone.
IRP officer B. Saieashwar Goud and SIRP officer SV Subba Reddy led the operation with support from RHC B. Satyanarayan Singh, RPCs A. Aseervadam and K. Chandra Shekar, and RPF IPF Bhavani Shankar Saraswat. Railway SP Chandana Deepti, IPS, and DSRP S.N. Jawed supervised the arrest.
IGP Railway and Road Safety K. Ramesh Naidu, IPS, praised the swift action. He said the GRP and RPF staff involved in the operation would be suitably rewarded.