Police in Amdanga of North 24 Parganas foiled an ingenious ganja smuggling attempt: searching on NH12 near the old registry office, police stopped an engine van whose driver claimed it carried only empty plastic bottles — and so it appeared at first glance.[1] But searching the vehicle, police found sack after sack of ganja under the bottles; the haul was about 200 kg with an estimated market value of Rs 20 lakh.[1]
Engine van driver Sheikh Farid was arrested; the 42-year-old’s home is in Rajasthan, and he said the ganja-laden van had been concealed behind the empty bottles.[1] Police believe others besides Farid may be involved in the trafficking ring, took him into custody, and began hunting the ring’s other members.[1] Such novel-method smuggling is far from rare, but Amdanga station police’s alert operation stopped a major attempt.[1]