Ganja peddlers outwit cops with new method

Hyderabad: With the law enforcement agencies zeroing down on ganja peddlers, the criminals are now adopting new ways to escape getting caught. In the latest, the ganja transporters are using air-conditioned compartments for their safe travel while the contraband is being dumped in sleeper class or general bogies.

The railway police who frequently check the trains discovered this new modus operandi. “We suspect the new modus operandi was introduced after transporters from the Vizag and other districts of AP were hesitant to carry the contraband for fear of getting arrested. Last year, more than 150 cases were registered by the railway police,” said an official of GRP Secunderabad.

The transporters arrive early at the railway station and board the general compartment or sleeper class bogies and stock the ganja there. “Later, they move over to the air-conditioned bogies where their tickets are actually booked. In the middle of the journey, at long-halt stations, they go back to the compartments whe-re their loot is stashed and do a check to ensure that all is well. Gener-ally, the trains are long distance bound for various districts of Mahara-shtra and Karnataka. There have been instances when we could only seize the ganja but could not identify the person,” said S Rajendra Prasad, DSP Secunderabad Railway Police.

“On a few occasions, we seized the contraband stuffed in the bags but there was no trace of the transporters. The main agents live in the Vizag and its surrounding areas while the end agent stays in the destination city. In the train, there are only the transporters who are paid money for the task,” said the official.

The transporters are paid anywhere between Rs 4,000 and Rs 10,000 for a consignment. “In case the person is caught, then the main agent is responsible for arranging bail and taking care of the family of the arrested person until he is out of bail. The court expenses are also to be borne by the main agent", the police say.