Cops arrest gutka, ganja smugglers

Hyderabad: In a special drive, the Nalgonda police seized 15 bags of gutka worth Rs 5 lakh and 30 kilos of cannabis worth Rs 3.5 lakh from interstate smuggler gangs in raids at different places. 

Nalgonda SP Rema Rajeshwari said cops have been conducting the drive as directed by state DGP Mahender Reddy to prevent the smuggling of illicit tobacco, gutka and pan masala. Surveillance was kept on gangs dealing with banned substances. 

On Monday morning, the Kethepalli and Kattangur police teams seized a stock of marijuana and caught two persons – one from Uttar Pradesh and a transgender from Odisha. 

Police said ganja smuggler Katravath Raju alias Shiva of Mahabubnagar got in touch with Abu Bakar, a native of Bijnor, UP. “On word from Shiva, Abu went to Malkangiri, Odisha and purchased ganja. He was transporting it to Hyderabad and aiming to go to Uttar Pradesh for further sale.”

In the early hours, during a vehicle check at Korlapad toll plaza, police caught him. Shiva is absconding and a search is on to arrest him.

In the second case, transgender Govardhan Darli alias Sonali alias Sonu  form Bodigada, Malkangiri, was caught. She used to purchase marijuana from her native place in Malkangiri and sold it in Hyderabad for a higher rate. During one such trip, she was caught by the police near Nalgonda cross road in Kattangur area.

In another case, on Tuesday, the Nalgonda task force, in coordination with Nalgonda II Town Police, nabbed Bapanapally Anjaneyulu and seized 15 bags of banned gutka. He admitted that he was taking gutka from Irlapati Yadagiri.

“The two said a consignment was dumped in Tata water godown. The taskforce and local police seized 15 bags of banned gutka worth about Rs 5 lakh and the two are being sent to judicial remand,” the SP said.