Probe into ANC's biggest seizure of cannabis reveals easy accessibility by road and rail has led to the two districts emerging as 'the places to be' for smuggling the drug
The tempo in which the ganja was found hidden behind rotting onion
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The Mumbai Police made its biggest-ever seizure of cannabis, also known as ganja and marijuana - 500 kg - last week in Vikhroli, and probe in the case has revealed that Nashik and Jalgaon have become the major "drop points" for the drug before it is smuggled into the city and in Gujarat from Naxal-affected regions on the Odisha and Telangana border. Sources in the Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) said easy access to the two districts in Maharashtra by road and railway was the main reason for this, adding that distribution from these regions to other parts also was easy.
The big catch
mid-day had reported on March 15 how an ANC team led by inspector Santosh Bhalekar and officers Nitin Bodhe and Pramod Kumbhar had seized 500 kg ganja worth Rs 1 crore and arrested three people - Sanjay Minute, 36, the driver of the vehicle in which the drug was being transported, Nandlal Beldal, 55, the alleged kingpin, and Kalu Mohite, 28. More are involved in the case, and the police are searching for them. The accused's questioning revealed that the drug had come from Ganjam area, which is on the Odisha-Telangana border. It was distributed to several peddlers, who smuggled it into the city.
Narcotic's trail
As per the probe, Naxalites cultivated ganja, after which it was transported to areas in Khandesh - Nashik and Jalgaon. From there, locals distributed it in Gujarat and Mumbai. Sources added that the ganja being sold was funding Naxalites' movement. Sources said that in order to stop the flow of marijuana from the Naxal belt, they have written to the police in Odisha and Telangana, asking them to crack down on the menace. ANC has also informed the police in Nashik and Jalgaon. Deputy Commissioner of Police Shivdeep Lande said they were probing the case from all angles and were trying to trace the remaining suspects.
500 kg
Quantity of cannabis seized last week
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