11-member gang arrested for ganja peddling in Anantapur

We are taking action not just on the peddlers, but also on those consuming it, warns Additional SP

Anantapur police on Thursday arrested an 11-member gang allegedly involved in ganja peddling in Anantapur town and other parts of the district.

Additional Superintendent of Police D.V. Ramana Murthy told media persons that they have put a strict vigil on ganja peddling in the district on the instructions of Superintendent of Police (SP) P. Jagadeesh. The Additional SP said that the main accused Dileep Banka hailed from Koraput district in Odisha and was buying the ganja grown in the neighbouring State at a cheaper rate and selling it in Anantapur.

Mr. Ramana Murthy said that the ganja was being transported to Andhra Pradesh in a car and sold at ₹5,000 per kilo to the other accused in Anantapur. The other accused sold ganja by packing them in small packets of 20 gram each for ₹500 to customers in Anantapur and other parts of the district.

“We are taking action not just on the peddlers, but also on those consuming it. We have counselled the parents of some students who were found consuming ganja,’‘ the Additional SP said.

Apart from Dileep Banka, the police arrested S. Vinay Kumar alias Talakaya alias Vinni, Syed Jabbar alias Dubbi, M Ramesh alias Rummy, C. Bhaskar, P. Jayaram, Suresh Babu, Ahmed Farhan, A. Mahendra alias Mahi, Ch. Pradeep and Timmapuram Imam Basha. Police recovered 20 kg ganja, a car, two bikes, 11 mobile phones and ₹2,500 from the accused.

The Additional SP said that Tatrakallu Nethaki of Vajrakaruru mandal in Anantapur district, who was arrested recently, played a key role in the peddling racket and had close links with the arrested gang members.

Published - November 07, 2024 07:18 pm IST