Acting on a tip-off, the LB Nagar Special Operations Team (SOT), in collaboration with the Choutuppal police, arrested three individuals, including a woman, for allegedly smuggling ganja from Andhra Pradesh to Telangana. The arrested suspects have been identified as Devi (39), Adduri Prasad (33), and Kimudu Prashanth (25). Two other accomplices, Muthem Prasad and Tribhuwan Gopal Rewar, remain at large.
The police seized 14 kg of ganja, along with three mobile phones, valued at Rs 4,01,000. Devi, a laborer from Andhra Pradesh, has a criminal history involving ganja trade. Adduri Prasad, an auto driver from Kothakota, was previously involved in a drug-related case. Kimudu Prashanth, also an auto driver, joined the operation after being promised Rs 5,000 for his participation.
The trio had purchased the ganja in Narsipatnam, Andhra Pradesh, for Rs 5,000 per kilogram, with plans to sell it in Hyderabad for Rs 12,000 per kilogram. The drugs were concealed in a luggage bag to avoid detection. Fearing police checks on the direct bus route, the group deboarded in Choutuppal and awaited further instructions from their contact, Tribhuwan Gopal Rewar, based in Hyderabad.
The accused were apprehended at the Choutuppal bus stand, and the ganja was seized. Police are continuing efforts to track down the source and the intended receiver of the contraband.