Delhi Police Crack Down on Inter-State Cannabis Smuggling Syndicate

The Delhi Police have successfully dismantled an inter-state syndicate involved in smuggling cannabis from the Naxal-affected regions of Andhra Pradesh to the capital. Three individuals, including a former assistant sales manager, were apprehended in Delhi's Azadpur, an official confirmed on Tuesday.

During the operation, authorities seized 26 kilograms of cannabis and caught the primary supplier, Sandeep Pall, in Visakhapatnam after an exhaustive search extending across hundreds of kilometers, including areas impacted by Naxalite activities.

According to a tip received, a new shipment of cannabis was to be delivered in Delhi via operatives connected to sources in Visakhapatnam. Two suspects, Sanjay Katara and Meena Devi, were intercepted at Mukundpur Chowk while riding a two-wheeler, with surveillance and field intelligence leading to their arrest.

Seized contraband was packaged for distribution in Delhi-NCR. Under interrogation, Katara disclosed his history as a 1985 graduate and former sales manager, having turned to the drug trade in pursuit of fast money. It was revealed Katara initially served as a middleman before obtaining cannabis directly from Pall in Visakhapatnam, who sourced it from the remote jungles of Andhra Pradesh.

The police, following Katara's confession, dispatched a team to Visakhapatnam, where local police aided in tracking Pall through Naxal-heavy areas like G. Madugula and Padero, finally arresting him in Kancharapalem.

Pall, originally from Uttar Pradesh, moved to Andhra Pradesh for work and was an auto driver. His involvement in narcotics began when a passenger introduced him to the trade, supplying cannabis from forested areas.

Further investigation is ongoing to uncover the full network and pinpoint local distributors tied to the syndicate.

(With inputs from agencies.)