Vishakhapatnam drug pushers arrested in Thane

THANE: Two drug pushers from Vishakhapatnam were arrested and 6.5 kg ganja was seized from them, by the anti narcotics cell from outside Thane station near Mumbai on Saturday.
The police said that the duo were identified as Victor Joseph, 47 and Balla Badarao, 32. Joseph is an auto driver and Kailaspuram resident while Badarao vendor and reside is Alipuram of Vishakhapatnam.

Based on a tip-off that the duo would be carrying the consignment, a team of anti narcotics cell waylaid the duo near Thane station. Upon searching them, cops found packets of pure ganja worth 1 lakh, stashed in a sack, said an officer.

The sleuths suspect that the duo could only be peddlers smuggling the contraband to Thane and the kingpin could still be at par. "The investigations are still underway and now we are trying to identify the other links of the accused involved in smuggling of the contraband," informed a police officer.

Preliminary probe revealed that the accused, in a bid to earn quick buck got the idea of supplying the contraband as there is a real demand of ganja which is in the pure form. The duo went to a weekly market in a village which is about 125 km from Vishakhapatnam and purchased ganja from a person visually impaired with one eye, the police said.

"This village, is close to Naxal infested area and it is suspected that the Marijuana is grown in the Naxal controlled area and then dispatched to various parts of the country through various peddlers like these two. Thorough probe shall reveal the actual route, "informed a police officer.