Major police action in Jharkhand: Cannabis worth ₹2.2 crore seized

In two separate operations conducted by the police and Railway Protection Force (RPF) against drug trafficking in Jharkhand, a total of 441 kg of cannabis has been recovered. The estimated value of the seized cannabis is said to be approximately ₹2.2 crore. Smugglers had adopted extremely clever methods to transport this consignment, including creating secret chambers in container trucks and using general coaches of trains.

The first major operation was carried out in Garhwa district. According to a report by 'Aaj Tak' shared today, the police received secret information on Sunday that a large quantity of cannabis was being hidden in a container truck near the Kalyanpur overbridge. Upon receiving the information, the police reached the spot and conducted a thorough inspection of the truck. During the investigation, 426 kg of cannabis was found in a secret chamber constructed inside the truck. This cannabis was packed and hidden in 426 plastic packets of 1 kg each. The estimated value of this quantity is approximately ₹2.13 crore.

Garhwa SP Ashutosh Shekhar stated that when this operation was conducted, no person was present in the truck, due to which no arrests could be made. The police have seized the container truck. Notably, the registration number of this truck is from Uttar Pradesh. The police have registered a case under the NDPS Act and have started investigating the active smuggling network behind this cannabis consignment.

The second operation was conducted at the Tatisilwai railway station in Ranchi. According to the report by 'Aaj Tak', the RPF raided the general coaches of the Hatia-Islampur Express on Saturday night. During this, four interstate drug smugglers were apprehended. 15 kg of cannabis was recovered from them, the market value of which is said to be approximately ₹7.5 lakh.

During the interrogation of the caught accused, it was revealed that this cannabis was purchased from Balangir in Odisha and was to be delivered to the Champaran area of Bihar. Among the arrested accused, three are residents of Uttar Pradesh, while one person is a resident of West Champaran. For further legal proceedings, all four accused and the seized cannabis have been handed over to the Ranchi GRP.

In this manner, a total quantity of 441 kg of cannabis has been caught in two different operations conducted in Jharkhand. The police are now investigating how far this smuggling network is connected and which other individuals are active in this matter.