Chennai police seize 200 kg of ganja, arrest two

The ganja, worth about ₹60 lakh was found in a car during a surveillance check; a search is on for two others who were in the vehicle and managed to escape, police said

The Chennai City Police have seized 200 kg of ganja, and arrested two peddlers, including a history-sheeter.

On the instructions of City Police Commissioner Shankar Jiwal, police personnel across the city have been monitoring drug trafficking and ganja peddling and arresting the drug offenders frequently, to curb the menace of drugs in the city.

Sources said Madipakkam Inspector Sivakumar and his team received credible information and mounted surveillance on Sunday at the junction between Madipakkam Koot Road and Moovarasampet. In the afternoon, they intercepted a sport utility vehicle (SUV). On seeing the police team, two of the passengers in the car escaped, while police caught two others after a chase.

Police found a huge quantity of ganja concealed in the car. They brought the accused to the police station where they were interrogated. The apprehended accused persons have been identified as D. Premnath, 43 of Adambakkam who is a Sri Lankan national and his associate Abdul Rahman, 28 of Vallakadavu, Thiruvananthapuram who was driving the vehicle. Police also seized 200 kg of ganja worth around ₹60 lakh and the SUV.

The two accused, along with their associates, had procured ganja from a village near Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh and had hoarded the contraband at rented houses in Veppampattu and Avadi. Later ,they distributed the drug to several areas in the city for sale to users, police said.

Premnath has history-sheet at the Madipakkam police station with six criminal cases pending. Only two months ago, he came out from prison on bail. Abdul Rahman has two criminal cases against him in Kerala for ganja peddling. Police said efforts are on to nab the two persons who escaped from the car.