2 held after cops intercept tempo, find ₹3.5 crore ganja

Mumbai: City police’s anti-narcotics cell (ANC) has arrested two men and seized 1,800kg ganja worth Rs 3.5 crore from a tempo near Vikhroli on the Eastern Express Highway. Police had laid a trap and intercepted the tempo at 5pm on Friday.

- Mateen.Hafeez @timesgroup.com

1,800kg ganja was seized from a tempo on Friday

Mumbai: City police’s anti-narcotics cell (ANC) has arrested two men and seized 1,800kg ganja worth Rs 3.5 crore from a tempo near Vikhroli on the Eastern Express Highway. Police had laid a trap and intercepted the tempo at 5pm on Friday. The accused had smuggled the drug into the city from Odisha. The alleged main buyer and supplier, Sandeep Satpute, a resident of Louis Wadi in Thane, is wanted in the case, said the police. The racket, they said, involved smuggling five tonne of ganja into the state every month, around 3.5 tonne of which would be distributed in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane and Palghar alone.

Milind Bharambe, joint commissioner of police (crime), said they acted on certain information. “It was more of a physical and technical investigation and chasing for information. Our team intercepted a tempo which contained coconuts. When examined carefully, we found 1,800 kg of ganja hidden in a cavity made under the surface of the tempo,” said Bharambe.