Pune Customs Busts Ganja Trafficking Operation, Seizes 211 Kgs of Contraband Worth Rs 63 Lakhs

Mubarak Ansari

Pune, 8th November 2023: Acting on specific intelligence, a team of officers from Pune Customs swiftly moved to intercept a substantial quantity of Ganja (Marijuana) believed to be trafficked from Araku Valley, Andhra Pradesh to Kurduwadi, Solapur. The operation led the team to Boramni, Solapur, where a truck was intercepted, loaded seemingly with empty crates.

Upon thorough search of the truck, officers discovered a concealed cavity containing approximately 211 kilograms of Ganja (Cannabis). The contraband, valued at around Rs. 63 lakhs in the illegal market, was seized under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. Additionally, the truck, with an estimated value of Rs. 23 lakhs, was also seized under the NDPS Act, 1985.

The successful operation resulted in the arrest of two individuals on November 1, 2023, who were later sent to judicial custody on November 4, 2023. The accused persons are now facing charges related to the possession and trafficking of illegal substances.

The Pune Customs team, instrumental in the operation, consisted of the following members:
Vinod Kumar – Inspector, Narcotics Cell (leading the team)
Amit Patel – Inspector
Abhishek Singh – Superintendent, Narcotics Cell
Sushant Tyagi – Superintendent
Rajat Kumar – Inspector
Jitendra Meena – Stenographer
Ashish Awati – Tax Assistant
Viraj Dhokale – Tax Assistant