NCB seizes 724 kg ganja worth Rs 1.45 crore in Surat; six held
Ahmedabad, June 15
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) seized 724 kg ganja worth Rs 1.45 crore smuggled from Odisha in a truck after it reached its destination Surat in Gujarat and arrested six persons, including the receiver, officials said on Wednesday.
“After surveillance, an NCB team intercepted the truck as well as the receiver of the consignment when the delivery of the narcotic substance was underway (in Surat). Six persons, including the receiver, have been apprehended, along with two vehicles and Rs 1 lakh cash,” the Ahmedabad zonal unit of the NCB said.
The federal anti-drugs agency stated that the seizure would hit the narcotics supply chain and a major inter-state network involved in the trafficking of ganja in Gujarat.
“We do not provide the valuation officially, but the seized ganja could fetch Rs 20,000 per kg on the street, and the current seizure could be valued at around Rs 1.45 crore,” an NCB official said.
This is the third major seizure of contraband in Gujarat by the NCB so far in June.
Earlier, the NCB had busted a factory in south Gujarat and seized 68 kg of psychotropic substance. In another operation, it seized 523 kg of ganja in Ahmedabad.
So far in June, the NCB arrested 13 persons and seized 1,315.7 kg of drugs.
“The NCB is further looking into the linkages of these illegal drug consignments,” the release said.
Seizure of ganja in such quantities leads to prosecution under the stringent provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, which entails provisions of rigorous imprisonment of minimum of 10 years and a fine up to Rs 1 lakh, the NCB said.
