Kerala: Ganja pedlars cash in on demand

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Even amidst intensified checking on the borders by election squads, police and the excise, the pedlars manage to bring in ganja as it has become pricier due to the high demand, say sources. On Saturday also, around 10 kg ganja was caught  from a woman  pedlar, Mary, 48, at Parassala railway station by Amaravila range excise officials.

“There is a reason for misadventure  during the elections. From the customer viewpoint, due to election special checking, carrying too many bottles in vehicles or for group consumption has become a risky business. Since ganja for many people can be hid in a wallet or pocket it is preferred more often due to liquor restrictions. Though prices are jacked up,  the ganja abusers are not concerned,” said a former  pedlar from Neyyatinkara.

The same ganja brought in by interstate smugglers get pricier when sold to retail pedlars. In Thiruvananthapuram, the chain doesn’t end there as the same weed is passed through various persons who take  their profit.

“This creates more peddlers for every single customer,” said an excise official.
The arrested pedlar, Mary of Thottavaram house, Pandara parambu, Monchira, Vilavancode, Tamil Nadu is an accused in several cases earlier. As per her confession  to the excise team under CI Raja Singh, she personally procured ganja after travelling to Maoist infested areas beyond Visakhapatnam.

“We have not been able to catch any peddlers within city limits and there is no report of political parties supplying liquor or contraband to anyone. However,  two back-to-back busting happened at Valiyamala this week apart from the 10 kg held at Parassala,” said Narcotics Cell Assistant Commissioner R. Dethan.