Jabalpur (MP), Oct 31 The Jabalpur Police Crime Branch and the Narcotics Wing of Uttar Pradesh Police jointly seized 871 kg of ganja (cannabis) worth around Rs 4.35 crore from a container truck in the district and arrested two persons, police said on Saturday.
Superintendent of Police Sampat Upadhyay said that the joint operation was conducted with the Gosalpur police.
Acting on suspicion, a police team chased the container truck travelling from the Jabalpur side on National Highway 30, and intercepted it near the Mohatra toll plaza after laying a cordon, he said.
The driver and another person travelling in the container tried to flee but were caught, Upadhyay said.
The accused were identified as Dharamveer Singh (45), a resident of Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh, and Vikram Karmakar (24), a resident of Balurghat in West Bengal.
A search of the container, bearing a Nagaland registration number, led to the recovery of 871 kg of cannabis packed in 28 sacks and concealed among 412 paint cans. The seized contraband was valued at Rs 4.35 crore, the police official said.
A team of the Uttar Pradesh Narcotics Wing from Jhansi, which had been tracking the container, also reached the spot around the same time, he said.
Police have registered a case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
During questioning, the accused said they were transporting the consignment from Odisha to Maihar on the instructions of Prabhat Sahu, a resident of Balangir district in Odisha. They also told police that they had earlier transported cannabis consignments to Madhya Pradesh at his behest.
The accused were paid Rs 1 lakh for each consignment, according to police.
(PTI News)
