Three held with 9.2 kg ganja; interstate drug trafficking racket busted

Jamshedpur, July 30: In a major crackdown on narcotics trafficking, East Singhbhum Police have busted an alleged interstate ganja smuggling racket with the arrest of three persons and the seizure of 9.2 kg of ganja, cash, weighing equipment, a motorcycle and mobile phones during coordinated raids in the MGM police station area.

The operation was carried out as part of the district police’s ongoing drive against the illegal drug trade.

Acting on a specific intelligence input received on July 29 about large-scale ganja trafficking in the MGM area, a special team was constituted on the instructions of the Senior Superintendent of Police.

The operation was conducted under the supervision of the Superintendent of Police (Rural) and led by Patamda Sub-Divisional Police Officer Dayanand Kumar. MGM police station officer-in-charge Sachin Kumar Das and other police personnel were also part of the raiding team.

The first raid was conducted at the residence of Mantosh Mahato alias Budhu Mahato (38), a resident of Beko village under the MGM police station limits. During the search, police recovered 7.2 kg of ganja, Rs 6,400 in cash and a digital weighing scale allegedly used to measure the contraband.

During interrogation, Mahato allegedly confessed that he had been procuring ganja from Purulia district in neighbouring West Bengal, storing it at his residence and supplying it to customers in and around Jamshedpur.

Based on his disclosure, police learnt that two more suppliers from the Bandwan area of Purulia were on their way to deliver another consignment.

Acting swiftly, the team laid a trap and launched vehicle checks on the Beko-Chhotabanki road.

Soon afterwards, two motorcycle-borne suspects, identified as Shambhu Gorai (58) and Pran Krishna Gorai (53), were intercepted. A search led to the recovery of 2 kg of ganja and Rs 24,960 in cash, believed to be proceeds from the sale of the narcotic. Both were arrested on the spot.

In all, police seized 9.2 kg of ganja, Rs 31,360 in cash, a motorcycle, a digital weighing scale, a Jio keypad mobile phone and a touchscreen smartphone. The three accused have been remanded to judicial custody.

Police said preliminary investigations indicate the involvement of an interstate drug trafficking network operating between West Bengal and Jharkhand.

Raids are underway to identify and apprehend other members of the syndicate and trace its wider distribution network.

A senior police officer said, “The investigation suggests this is not an isolated case but part of a larger interstate supply network. We are pursuing every lead to identify all those involved. Strict action will be taken against everyone connected with the illegal narcotics trade.”