724kg ganja kept in hidden chamber seized, 6 arrested in Surat

SURAT: In a joint operation, a team of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and city police seized 724kg ganja worth Rs 1.45 crore near Lajpore crossroads under Sachin police station limits on Wednesday. Police arrested six accused, including those who had come to receive the consignment and those who had brought it from Odisha.
The ganja was stored in a hidden compartment in a truck to mislead police.The ganja was packed in packets from which it was difficult to identify if the packets were of ganja. Police seized the truck, an SUV that was guiding the truck, and cash of Rs 1 lakh.
Police arrested Faruq Chand Shaikh, Farhan Nasir Pathan, Arun Tinas Gauda, Hemraj Bhikhan Thakre, Sabir Shaikh and Sakil Shaikh.
“After surveillance, an NCB team intercepted the truck as well as the receiver of the consignment when the delivery of the narcotic substance was going on. Six persons, including the receiver, have been arrested,” an NCB official said.
“The drug traffickers are trying different ways to bring contraband into the city. We have targetted different drug dealing networks and made multiple arrests in the past,” said Ajay Tomar, city police commissioner.
“We do not provide the valuation officially, but the seized ganja could fetch Rs 20,000 a kg in the market, and the current seizure could be valued at around Rs 1.45 crore,” the NCB official stated.
“This is the third major seizure of contraband in Gujarat by the NCB this month. Earlier, the NCB had busted a factory in south Gujarat and seized 68kg of psychotropic substance. In another operation, it had seized 523kg of ganja in Ahmedabad,” said NCB that has arrested 13 persons and seized 1,315kg of drugs till now in June.