Gujarat: Hybrid ganja worth Rs 26L seized from GIFT City flat, one held

Ahmedabad: The Gandhinagar Special Operations Group (SOG) arrested a 25-year-old man and seized hybrid ganja worth over Rs 26 lakh from a luxury apartment on the GIFT City campus, exposing a narcotics supply operation allegedly run from a rented high-rise flat.The accused, identified as Ankit Kakkad from Rajkot, rented the apartment for Rs 3,000 per day through an online marketplace. Police said the operation was carried out on March 11 after the SOG received specific intelligence that a man was storing and selling hybrid ganja in the Daboda police station area for financial gain. Acting on the tip-off, an SOG team conducted surveillance before raiding the flat.During the search, officers recovered 0.7kg of hybrid ganja valued at around Rs 26.11 lakh from a branded bag inside the bedroom. The narcotic substance was sent for testing by a forensic science laboratory (FSL) official present at the spot, which confirmed that it was ganja.Police also seized other items from the apartment, including an electronic weighing scale, 2 premium smartphones, Rs 4,000 in cash, and the bag used to store the contraband. The total value of the seized items was estimated at around Rs 26.65 lakh.Investigators said the accused had booked the apartment on March 10 and made the payment online. Officials suspect the flat was used as a temporary base to store and distribute narcotics in the region. The arrest comes amid heightened focus on GIFT City after the state govt allowed limited liquor consumption in designated areas, attracting business travellers and visitors. Following the drug seizure, Daboda police registered a case under Sections 8(c), 21(B)(ii)(A), and 29 of the NDPS Act. Officials said further investigation is underway to identify the source of the narcotics and potential buyers linked to the accused.