In a major anti-narcotics operation, the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) seized a huge quantity of ganja valued at over Rs 2.53 crore and arrested one accused near Aryan Dhaba on the Bhandara–Nagpur Road on Sunday morning. According to the police, the operation was carried out on the basis of reliable information received by Police Constable Gayaprasad Laltaprasad Verma of the Anti-Narcotics Task Force, Nagpur. Acting on the tip-off received at early Monday morning, the ANTF officials reached near Aryan Dhaba opposite Mathani Toll Gate near Mouda at about 6.45 am. The officers noticed a truck (WB-23/D-7992) parked near the Dhaba. The vehicle was intercepted and the driver was asked to step out. On inquiry, the driver identified himself as Sanjay Madan Yadav (48), a resident of village Bikaipur in Gaya district of Bihar.

 

The team inspected the luggage compartment of the truck. During the search, officers found a blue tarpaulin tied with rope. On opening it, they discovered 20 black and yellow striped plastic sacks. When questioned, the accused admitted that the sacks contained ganja. The police opened the bags and found 495 plastic packets filled with greenish-black flowering ganja with seeds and a strong smell. The entire contraband was weighed on an electronic weighing scale. The total weight of ganja was found to be 507.300 kilograms. Its estimated market value is Rs 2,53,65,500, police said. Samples were collected for chemical analysis.

 

The police also seized a mobile phone of the accused. When questioned about the source and destination of the contraband, the accused reportedly gave vague and unsatisfactory answers. The police have registered a case against Sanjay Madan Yadav under Sections 8(A) and 20(B)(ii)(C) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.