Postal drug racket nailed

Gang smuggled ganja intou00a0Delhi through mail service

The Crime Branch of Delhi police has arrested a gang that allegedly used to smuggle ganja to the city using the postal service.

Investigators recovered around 140 kg of ganja worth about Rs five lakh from the four people held, including a postman. Additional commissioner of police, Crime Branch, Neeraj Thakur said that the drug was being smuggled as parcels through the India Post service all the way from Orissa.

"Shafi Islam is the kingpin of the gang. He along with his associates Satpal Mann, who is a postman, Jaffar Ali and Ganesh had come to Burari area. Crime Branch received a tip-off and a raid was conducted. All the four people were arrested. Police have recovered 140 Kg ganja from their possession," Thakur said.

The officer said that the accused postman Mann is attached to the Burari Post Office.
Mann allegedly demanded Rs 200 to deliver the ganja.

"Islam met Mann around six months ago and lured him into the gang. Islam is a native of Kooch Behar in West Bengal. He was currently living in Burari area. He allegedly gets his supply from Orissa in parcels which arrive about twice a week," said Thakur.

The gang members used to post 10 to 15 kg ganja in 3 to 4 packets each time. They would write a fictitious address on the parcel. After receiving the parcel, Mann would call the client to deliver the ganja. The receiver had to come to the post office to collect the parcel.

EXCESS BAGGAGE
Seven persons, including two women, were apprehended recently allegedly with 155 kg of ganja, worth more than Rs 5 lakh, near Katran Market in Mangolpuri. "The gang had been smuggling ganja regularly from Cuttack to Delhi for the past few months; this was their fifth trip. They used a Chevrolet Tavera that had been hired from a tour-and-travel office in Rohini. The ganja was packed in suitcases and sacks to resemble ordinary luggage. Women accompanied the gang members to make it look like a family trip and avoid suspicion at checkpoints along the route," police said.

The arrested were identified as Dhiraj (30), the gang leader and a Mangolpuri resident, his 28-year-old woman companion, a 19-year-old woman, Neeraj (24), Sonu (27), Ajit (19) and Tilak Raj (24). Dhiraj, a stage artiste and singer who performs at weddings and functions in Delhi, has two earlier cases of liquor smuggling lodged against him. He stayed in the Capital and coordinated the trips, the police said.