The Krishna district police, in association with Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB) personnel arrested five persons allegedly involved in illegal trade of gutkha and ganja and liquor smuggling, and booked them under the PD Act.
Following the recommendations by Superintendent of Police (SP) M. Ravindranath Babu, District Collector A.Md. Imtiaz issued orders invoking Preventive Detention (PD) Act, against the accused, who were allegedly involved in many cases in the last few years.
The accused were facing more than 10 cases in Nandigama and Nuzvid divisions. Despite several warnings, they did not mend their ways, the SP said.
SEB Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Vakul Jindal said police tightened security on the border with Telangana and deployed special and mobile parties to check sand and liquor smuggling. “Smugglers are operating from Kanchikacherla, Penuganchiprolu, Nandigama, Chandarlapadu, Gampalagudem and other areas. They are resorting to illegal activities and creating law and order problems in the district,” Mr. Jindal said.
“PD Act has been invoked against Kothamasu Venkata Naga Rajeswara Rao, Kothamasu Chakradhar, Dasa Shekar, Annam Sambasiva Rao and his brother Annam Sudhakar in the last few days,” Mr. Babu added.
The modus operandi of the accused was to develop contacts with the gutkha, ganja and Non-Duty Paid Liquor (NDPL) sellers in the neighbouring States. They will import the banned products and supply them to retail sellers in West Godavari, Krishna, East Godavari, Guntur and other districts, the SP said.
“The suspects have wide network with gutkha and liquor sellers in Odisha, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and other States. Vigil has been kept on more smugglers and retail traders also,” Mr. Babu said.