RAJKOT: The
drug demon’s tentacles have clutched Saurashtra region in their viscious grip. The cache of ganja (marijuana) seized on Wednesday evening from Mahatma Gandhi Society in Jangaleshwer locality of Rajkot,
which initially weighed about 200 kg,
has finally turned out to be 357 kg,
worth Rs 21.45 lakh.
On Wednesday evening, Rajkot special operation group (
SOG) and Bhaktinagar police station officials arrested Madina Juneja (45). On Thursday morning, Madina’s husband Usman Juneja, her partner Afsana Qayada (25) and a 17-year-old minor boy were arrested for their involvement in the alleged drug trafficking.
“The ganja was packed into different packets hidden in the houses of Madina and Afsana, and two four-wheelers owned by Usman. Some quantity of the contraband was also kept at a nearby grocery store which we seized. That apart we also seized chilams (pipes) filled with ganja,” Rajkot police commissioner Manoj Agrawal told reporters on Thursday. Apart from the drugs, the cops also found one country made pistol and two cartridges from Madina’s house. Madina claimed that the firearm and cartridges belonged to her son Nawaz Sharif Juneja (26), who was arrested 10 days ago by Devbhoomi Dwarka police for allegedly trading in ganja. He is now presently lodged in Jamnagar Central Jail.
According to police, all members of the Juneja family are involved in drug trafficking. First Madina’s mother Amina Juneja was arrested 12 days ago with 1.25 kg ganja. Then her son Nawaz was arrested. And now, Madina and husband Usman were arrested on Wednesday and Thursday respectively.
“The arrest of Amina and Nawaz Sharif did not come as a deterrence to Madina and Usman who continued with drug trafficking and sought more supplies of ganja. The last cache of ganja had arrived on Tuesday night,” said Agrawal. “As the entire Juneja family has been found to be involved in drug trafficking, we have decided to approach the enforcement directorate to get their moveable and immovable assets attached. We will make a list of their properties and send it along with the FIR in this case to the enforcement directorate, which has a provision for seizure in such cases,” explained Agrawal.
Agrawal said that the source of ganja supply was Surat. “The contraband used to come by train in parcels to Surat railway station, from where it would be brought to Rajkot by car and then distributed across Saurashtra. Jangaleshwer locality of Rajkot has become a drug hub of Saurashtra,” he said.
