Bengaluru, Oct 13 Two people were arrested for allegedly transporting 317 kg of ganja worth Rs 1.78 crore from Odisha to Kerala via Bengaluru for sale at a higher price, police said on Tuesday.
The arrests were made on October 12 after personnel of Kumbalgodu police station received credible information that a large quantity of ganja was being transported from Odisha to Kerala through Bengaluru in a car, they said.
A case was registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act in this regard, police said.
According to police, acting on the information, a police team proceeded to the indicated location and intercepted a car near Eidgah Ground in Kambipura in Bengaluru. The personnel surrounded the vehicle, which was allegedly travelling towards Kerala, and apprehended the two occupants, police said.
During interrogation, the accused told police that they had travelled from Kerala to Bengaluru on October 6 and hired a self-drive rental car in R T Nagar, a senior police officer said.
They subsequently travelled to Odisha, where they allegedly purchased ganja at a low price from an unidentified person, he said.
The accused intended to transport the contraband through Bengaluru to Kumaramangalam in Kerala and sell it to customers at a higher price, he said.
They returned to Bengaluru on October 11 and stayed overnight at a hotel in Bommasandra, the officer added.
During a search of the seized car, police recovered approximately 317 kg of ganja. The contraband and the vehicle were seized, police said.
The seized ganja was valued at Rs 1.78 crore, while its market value was estimated at Rs 3.17 crore, they said.
Efforts are underway to identify those involved in procuring and transporting the contraband, as well as those who assisted in its sale. The investigation is ongoing, police added.
(PTI News)
