The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has busted a drug trafficking network and arrested eight persons and seized 681.8 kg of ganja from them.

Based on a tip-off from the Bengaluru unit, a team of NCB officials intercepted three cars near a toll plaza in Ranga Reddy district, Telangana, and seized the ganja consignment, concealed in compressed form, in 335 brick-like packets and wrapped with brown colour adhesive tapes. This is a common modus operandi of drug trafficking from the Andhra-Odisha border, the police said.

The arrested persons were S. Pawar, V. Pawar, B. Ware, M. Dhotre, D. Deshmukh, R. Gunjal, A. Gandhi and S. Sanap.

“The syndicate used to source ganja in huge quantities from Vishakhapatnam and distribute it in various parts of Pune and Osmanabad,” Amit Ghawate (Zonal Director, Bengaluru) , said.

According to Mr. Ghawate, illegal ganja cultivation in India is largely concentrated in the naxal-affected Andhra-Odisha border areas. Ganja from this region finds its way to Delhi, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and West Bengal and is smuggled across the ocean to Sri Lanka.