In a major drug haul, the southeast police busted an inter-State drug racket and recovered 123 kg of marijuana worth Rs 50 lakh. DCP (Southeast) Chinmoy Biswal said, “With the arrest of four men, including a woman, the Special Staff has busted a drug syndicate who indulged in drug peddling. Marijuana used to be transported from remote parts of Odisha to New Delhi in car.”
Police on Monday said that in light of the rampant drug abuse among criminals, police started keeping surveillance on the drug peddlers.
In the past few weeks, the cops received information about a notorious drug peddler gang who are opening supply chain of huge quantity of marijuana from distant states like West Bengal, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh to Delhi-NCR.
Based on local intelligence and technical surveillance, the team of Special Staff found that the gang of drug peddlers used private cars to marijuana or ganja from Orissa and Andhra Pradesh.
“On January 4, a police team received a tip off that two drug suppliers — Jagbandhu and Rajgir — would come in a private Tata Indigo Manza car from Faridabad to deliver a consignment at Madanpur Khadar. The team laid a trap at Main Mathura Road, near Sarita Vihar Metro Station and a special vehicle checking picket was erected. At about 9 am, one Tata Indigo Manza car bearing No. BR-1BB-0360 came from Badarpur and the said car was stopped at the picket. Two persons in the car were identified as Jagbandhu Patra (27) and Rajgir Kumar (32). During the search, police team found 88 kgs of marijuana from the vehicle,” said Biswal.
Police also found that the car has been modified for the purpose of smuggling psychotropic drugs. The rear seat of the car was specifically designed and a chamber was built under the seat. It was so cleverly designed that in normal course, it was impossible to detect. Similarly, the boot space of the car had a secret deep space. On the surface, it all looks normal. Both these modifications were done to safely transport the consignment from Odisha to Delhi by evading detection.
“During sustained interrogation, the accused disclosed that they came in contact of one Halender, a resident of Patna, who was residing as tenant in Balasore from Odisha. Halender allured them to join this illegal business of ganja supply. Both of them started procuring ganja from remote areas of Odisha as well as Andhra Pradesh and transported it to Delhi through specially modified cars. Their links further supplied the drugs to several drug peddlers in Delhi-NCR,” said the DCP.
Police said that Halender is the kingpin of the drug cartel. He allured unemployed youths who know driving, to join his gang in lieu of handsome money. He further used to procure ganja from remote locations of Odisha/Andhra Pradesh border. During interrogation of the accused it has also revealed that Halender has many specially modified cars and drivers to operate.