9 get 14-year RI for possessing 640 kg ganja in Vizianagaram

Visakhapatnam: In yet another major conviction in cannabis trade cases in the north Andhra Pradesh region, the first additional district and sessions court in Vizianagaram on Thursday sentenced nine persons (ganja smugglers) to 14 years rigorous imprisonment for possession of 640 kg of marijuana in Aug 2015. The court also slapped a fine of Rs 1 lakh on the convicts.Vizianagaram district police chief AR Damodhar said the Gantyada police in the district intercepted three vehicles during the routine vehicular check-ups and seized 641 kg of dry cannabis and arrested 10 persons.The investigation has revealed that the accused of the gang procured the weed from the tribal pockets to transport it to another place. The smugglers were charged under relevant sections of the NDPS Act, and a charge sheet was filed. One of the accused, G Dharmateja (21), died due to illness during the investigation. After the regular trials, the court sentenced the nine smugglers to 14 years' imprisonmentIn another case, the IX-additional district judge court in Chodavaram of Anakapalle district sentenced two people — Vanthala Jayaram and Golluri Bheemaraju — to 10 years rigorous imprisonment for possession of 148 kg of marijuana in Sep 2016. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on each of them.