The Two Town police in Visakhapatnam successfully apprehended five individuals involved in a Ganja trafficking operation following a coordinated raid on the evening of November 29. The arrests were made under Crime No. 292/2024, in compliance with sections 20(b)(ii)(B) and 8(C) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. ACP East Laxman Murthy briefed the media about the arrests during a press conference on Saturday.
The operation was initiated after receiving a tip-off regarding the transportation of illicit Ganja in the area. The suspects were caught attempting to transport a large quantity of the drug.
Shakeela Guna, 51, from Chennai, is the main accused, arrested alongside three accomplices: Palini Rajesh (40), Nazir Basha (49), and Jabunisha (54), all from Tamil Nadu. The fifth individual, Lasangi Malanna (59), is believed to be the source of the Ganja.
According to reports, Shakeela and her group traveled from Chennai to Visakhapatnam on November 28, where they met Lasangi Malanna in Digurapalli village to negotiate the purchase of 20 kilograms of Ganja for Rs 50,000. They made an upfront payment of Rs 30,000, with plans to pay the remaining Rs 20,000 later.
On November 29, around 4 PM, Lasangi provided an additional 10 kilograms of Ganja as the group prepared to return to Chennai. Acting on a tip-off, police, in coordination with the Task Force, raided the operation. During the raid, they seized 20.028 kg of Ganja, packed into eight packets within two bags, as well as three mobile phones.
The five suspects were arrested around 10 PM on November 29 and are now in judicial custody while investigations continue.
