Three held for smuggling marijuana worth ₹ 40 lakh in G Noida

Greater Noida: In a joint operation, the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force’s (UPSTF) field unit and Gautam Budh Nagar Police on Monday nabbed three people for allegedly smuggling marijuana worth ₹40 lakh in Greater Noida

Greater Noida: In a joint operation, the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force’s (UPSTF) field unit and Gautam Budh Nagar Police on Monday nabbed three people for allegedly smuggling marijuana worth ₹40 lakh in Greater Noida.

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The suspects were held with over 130 kilograms of marijuana from the Knowledge Park area of Greater Noida, police said. The contraband was brought from Odisha and was to be sold in Delhi-NCR, police added.

Incidentally, the Knowledge Park area has a huge concentration of students studying in various universities.

“Our team has been working on active drug syndicates which have been supplying drugs at paying guest accommodations and hostels in Greater Noida. Acting on a tip-off on Sunday evening, a suspicious car parked near Pari Chowk was inspected and we seized 133 kilograms of marijuana with an estimated worth around ₹40 lakh (in the international market),” said Raj Kumar Mishra, additional superintendent of police, UPSTF.

The three suspects have been identified as Deepak Sharma, Mohammad Wasim (both natives of Meerut district), and Shoib Khan, who hails from Baghpat, police added.

“During interrogation, the suspects revealed that they procured the marijuana from Odisha and Andhra Pradesh at a price of ₹2,500 per kilogram and brought it via Telangana and Madhya Pradesh for delivery in the Delhi/National Capital Region and western Uttar Pradesh,” additional SP Mishra said.

The suspects used to hide the marijuana in packets in the boot of their cars and also used the door cavities to smuggle the drugs.

“The three suspects have been booked under Sections 18/22 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. A case has been registered at the Knowledge Park police station. We have seized three mobile phones and a Nissan Sunny car from their possession,” additional SP Mishra added.

According to police, the suspects have also revealed information about three of their accomplices — identified as Amaan, Saleem — both residents of Meerut and Vikas Tyagi — a resident of Baghpat in UP. Police said they will be arrested at the earliest.