Six arrested for smuggling ganja on train in Namakkal district

Namakkal: Six people were arrested near the Cauvery RS Junction in Namakkal district, on Saturday night for attempting to smuggle ganja on a train. Police seized 12kg of ganja worth approximately 6 lakh from the accused.The arrested were identified as Karnan, 21, Kavinkumar, 25, Bhupathi, 21, Pavithran, 27, Subramani, 22, and Sasikumar, 30, all from Avarangadu in Pallipalayam. They were apprehended after Pallipalayam police received confidential information that some youths were smuggling ganja from Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh to Erode railway junction by train.Following orders from Pallipalayam DSP Gauthaman, a special police force led by Pallipalayam police sub-inspector Ranjith Kumar engaged in intensive surveillance at the Cauvery R S Railway Junction.During the operation, police personnel noticed three passengers throwing a packet out of a train, when it slowed down. "Three others came and tried to take it away, but police personnel surrounded and arrested them," an officer said. He added that, the three who were on the train were also subsequently arrested and brought to the police station for questioning.Preliminary investigation revealed that they routinely purchased ganja at wholesale prices from Andhra Pradesh, smuggled it by train, and transported it to Namakkal, Erode and various other districts for sale. Police said that since Erode Railway Junction is 1km away from Cauvery RS station, trains arriving at Erode railway station usually stop in this area or move slowly. "Taking advantage of this, ganja-selling gangs chose this place for their smuggling operations," the officer said.All six were produced before the Kumarapalayam court and remanded in Salem prison on Sunday.(Photo: S Parthiban)