Gariaband police seized 400kg of ganja worth around Rs 2 crore from a truck at the Khutgaon interstate check post and arrested five alleged smugglers.[1] Devbhog police stopped an Eicher truck bearing registration number MH 06 BW 4144 arriving from Odisha during vehicle checks on the night of 23 August at the Khutgaon check post on NH-130C.[1] Officers found packets concealed on the truck’s roof under a black tarpaulin, and on opening them found ganja weighing 400kg.[1]
The two men travelling in the truck were identified as Santosh Mohite and Sumit Thodwe, both from Maharashtra.[1] Police said two men on a motorcycle travelled ahead as pilots, alerting the truck about police presence and checks along the route.[1] Police cordoned off the area and arrested Pankaj Mohite and Jalandhar Khamhari, who were travelling on motorcycle number OD 08 W 5814.[1]
The accused allegedly said they had collected the ganja from Vinod Disari of Dengaguda village under Ampani police station in Odisha’s Kalahandi district.[1] A Gariaband police team then travelled to Odisha and arrested Disari from his village, also recovering Rs 5 lakh in cash allegedly earned through the sale of ganja.[1] Police also seized the Eicher truck, the piloting motorcycle, three mobile phones and Rs 6.50 lakh in cash, with police valuing the truck at about Rs 20 lakh and the 400kg of ganja at about Rs 2 crore.[1]
Police said the accused were transporting the marijuana from Odisha to Maharashtra, disrupting an interstate supply chain of supplier, transporters and pilots.[2] A case was registered against all five under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, and they were produced before the court for further proceedings.[2]