Hyderabad: Ganja Racket Operated by Mother-son Duo Busted, 3 held

Hyderabad: Telangana State Narcotics Bureau (TS NAB), along with Golconda police of Hyderabad city, nabbed Kalapathi Gowtham Singh, his mother, Kalapathi Nithubai, both habitual ganja peddlers, and their two associates, including a teenager and seized 23 kgs of Ganja from them on Wednesday.

TS NAB also found that Nithubai has acquired two buildings - one each at Gachibowli and Langar Houz, valued at around Rs 2 Crore with the money earned from supplying Ganja in different parts of the city. 16 Bank accounts with deposits of Rs 1.53 crores, operated by the accused persons, cash of Rs 40 lakh, an SUV, a sports bike, and other material, all worth around Rs 4 Crore, were seized during the operation, said SP TS Charavarthy Gummi. Six others associated with this gang are absconding, he said.

Furthermore, Charavarthy said Gowtham Singh is involved in one Ganja peddling case, and Nithubai is engaged in six Ganja-related cases. She was also detained under the PD Act. After completing detention, he again started supplying Ganja.

They purchased Ganja in bulk for Rs.8,000 per kg from their sources in Dhoolpet and, after making the sachets of 5 grams each,  sold them for Rs.250 per sachet. Approximately they are earning Rs 50,000 per sale of a Kg Ganja.

“ The accused and their family members are enjoying a lavish life and purchased luxurious houses in different areas, purchased bikes and other movable and immovable properties with the money earned from the sale of Ganja,” said Charavarthy.

They are attaching the properties owned by the family under the SAFEMA Act, which enabled Law Enforcement Agencies to forfeit illegally acquired properties of smugglers and foreign exchange manipulators. Further investigation is underway to identify other properties of accused persons acquired through sale proceedings of Ganja, added Charavarthy.