Vizianagaram police intercepted a major ganja smuggling operation at Kottakki check-post, seizing 810 kilograms of ganja valued at Rs 40.5 lakh and arresting three suspects on Friday. The operation was conducted under the jurisdiction of Ramabadrapuram police station.
During the raid, authorities confiscated a lorry with Maharashtra registration, two Bolero vehicles registered in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, four mobile phones, and Rs 7,405 in cash.
Bobbili DSP P Srinivasa Rao explained that the Ramabadrapuram police had set up a special check-post at Kottakki Junction to combat ganja trafficking through the district. The arrested accused—Hukum Solanki and Anil Solanki from Madhya Pradesh, and Jyothi Bhusan Behera from Odisha—are part of a nine-member gang involved in smuggling ganja from the Andhra-Odisha border to Madhya Pradesh.
The gang employed fake number plates on their vehicles and even used police name plates to avoid detection. The ganja was concealed under coal in the vehicles during transport.
Following a tip-off, Ramabadrapuram and Bobbili police officials stopped the vehicles and uncovered the large stash of ganja. Investigations are ongoing, and police are actively searching for the remaining six gang members.
A case has been registered, and further action is underway.
