A major interstate drug smuggling operation came to a dramatic end on the outskirts of Vijayawada when a car carrying contraband crashed into a stationary truck, resulting in one death and the seizure of 26 kilograms of ganja.
Incident Details
According to the Nunna police, five men from Madurai, Tamil Nadu, traveled to Visakhapatnam on June 12 in a car. They allegedly purchased around 30 kilograms of ganja in the Agency areas near Visakhapatnam and packed the contraband into smaller packets for smuggling to Tamil Nadu. The drugs were concealed in three bags and loaded into the car's boot.
On the afternoon of June 15, while traveling along the Vijayawada West bypass, the vehicle reportedly rammed into a stationary truck near a milestone opposite a hotel at around 3:30 PM. The impact left the occupants seriously injured, and they were rushed to a hospital.
Police Intervention
The case took a dramatic turn when police arrived at the accident site. During inspection, officers noticed two injured men with head bandages attempting to remove the bags from the damaged car and flee. Their suspicious behavior prompted police to stop and question them. A search of the bags led to the recovery of 26 kilograms of ganja.
Further investigation revealed that two other occupants allegedly escaped from the scene with another bag containing contraband. One of the accused, Surya, succumbed to severe injuries while undergoing treatment at the Government General Hospital in Vijayawada.
Arrests and Investigation
Police arrested Hari Vignesh Thanapal and Shanmuga Raja alias Manikandan, both residents of Madurai. Efforts are underway to trace the absconding accused, identified as Harish and Sikander. A case has been registered under relevant sections of the NDPS Act, and further investigation is ongoing.
The incident has exposed yet another interstate drug trafficking route passing through Andhra Pradesh.
