In a major crackdown on cross-border narcotics smuggling, Indian police seized 19.8 kg of hashish intended for Sri Lanka and arrested a key accused near Pasipattinam beach in Ramanathapuram district, Tamil Nadu, officials said on Wednesday.
Acting on specific intelligence regarding smuggling activities, an Indian police patrol team led by Inspector David Ravirajan and Sub-Inspector Ramesh secured the accused, identified as Mano, at the beach with an initial two kg of the narcotics, officials said.
During subsequent interrogation, Indian authorities recovered nearly 18 kg of hashish concealed at his residence in Thalirmarungur, falling under the Thondi police station limits.
Details Of The Major Hashish Seizure
A senior Indian police official told reporters that hashish is a highly concentrated cannabis resin. While 20 kg of regular ganja constitutes a commercial quantity under Indian law, just one kg of hashish meets the commercial quantity threshold, making this a significant bust, he added.
As per the Indian Central Government's Narcotics Control Bureau rate chart, the seized hashish is valued at Rs 2.5 lakh per kg in India, but the price multiplies up to three times in Sri Lanka, fetching nearly Rs 10 lakh per kg.
Investigation And Property Attachment
The Indian police official said a wider network is involved and further arrests will be made soon.
The accused, Mano, was already wanted by the Indian police in connection with a previous case involving 15 kg of ganja registered at the Thondi police station.
In addition to this major seizure, Ramanathapuram district police in India registered six other cases in the recent past during the intensive drive across various police station limits, arresting five individuals and seizing an additional eight to nine kg of contraband.
The official also said that Indian police have initiated legal procedures to attach movable and immovable properties, including land and houses, purchased through illegal drug smuggling by the accused and their relatives.
Source: PTI
--Agencies
