VISAKHAPATNAM: Excise sleuths and police of Madugula mandal in a multiple joint operation seized more than 2,765 kg of ganja and arrested six persons on Tuesday. They also seized two motorbikes, a car, a lorry and a van, besides a few cell phones, from the possession of the accused. According to sources, the seized ganja is worth more than Rs 2 crore.
The first of the arrest, that of two motorbike-borne persons, took place at Paderu ghat road near Madugula in the wee hours of Tuesday. From them, 30 kg of ganja stuffed in bags was seized. On interrogation, the motorists revealed information about other ganja transporting vehicles. Accordingly, around 6 am, the cops intercepted a car and seized another 30 kgs of ganja and nabbed two persons. In the third incident that happened after a few hours, a seemingly empty lorry was stopped and thoroughly inspected. That led to the seizure of 50 bags of ganja weighing 1,100 kg worth around Rs 1.2 crore stashed below the iron sheet. In the meantime, the lorry driver fled the spot.
Meanwhile, another team of civil police conducted a raid at L Gavaravarm near Jalampalli in the mandal and seized around 1,500 kg of ganja from a van. At the time of the raid there was no one at the spot. Cops have launched a manhunt for the smugglers.
In another incident, Hukumpet cops seized 95 kg of ganja at Burmanguda village in the wee hours of Tuesday. The ganja was hidden in an auto-rickshaw. Two persons were arrested and the vehicle seized.
