Interstate gang busted, 5 arrested

The gang, who posed as nomads, lived in remote villages located in Araku and Senthipalli forest regions of Visakhapatnam district in Andhra Pradesh, however, operated a network spread across the country, said police.

An interstate gang of drug peddlers has been busted and four people, including two women have been arrested, said officials from Central Crime Branch (CCB) on Wednesday.

The anti-narcotics wing seized 5kg hashish oil worth ₹4 crore and 6kg ganja from them, an official statement said. (Representational photo)

The anti-narcotics wing seized 5kg hashish oil worth ₹4 crore and 6kg ganja from them, an official statement said.

The gang, who posed as nomads, lived in remote villages located in Araku and Senthipalli forest regions of Visakhapatnam district in Andhra Pradesh, however, operated a network spread across the country, said police.

“They had connections with drug peddlers of Bengaluru, Kochi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai and other metropolitan cities. The gang was in contact with drug peddlers from Nellore, Guntur, Vijayawada, Puttaparthi and Hyderabad. They received advance money in cash,” said a senior CCB officer.

The gang would manufacture hashish oil using the ganja grown in the forests as per the order, said police. The women members of the gang would hide the drugs in bags containing groceries, said police.

They would put up makeshift tents beside the railway stations, said police. The peddlers would come to the stipulated places and take delivery of the drugs. The accused never used mobile phones, identity cards neither did they stay at one place, said CCB officials.

Joint commissioner (crime) Raman Gupta stated that the accused have been remanded to judicial custody.