Guntur (Andhra Pradesh) [India], January 5 (ANI): 14 people have been arrested in a ganja-related case in Andhra Pradesh's Guntur district, police said.

The arrest occured within the limits of the Pedakakani Police Station under the North Sub-Division of Guntur district.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Guntur Vakul Jindal on Sunday said the arrested accused were involved in supplying ganja by road from the Araku region. He added that 4 kilograms and 800 grams of ganja were seized from their possession.

The Superintendent of Police further stated that over the past three months, strict action has been taken against ganja as part of the 'Sankalpam' programme, with police cracking down firmly on drug trafficking in the district.

In December, Pune Police claimed to have busted a major drug racket after seizing hydroponic cannabis being cultivated inside a rented flat in the Pimpri Chinchwad city of the district and recovering narcotic substances worth around Rs 3.45 crore.

Senior police officials said the investigation indicates the involvement of an international drug trafficking network.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Somay Munde, who was leading the case, said, 'The racket came to light following the arrest of an accused in a drug sale case, after which police carried out coordinated operations in Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Mumbai and Goa. During the raids, various narcotic substances, including mephedrone, hydroponic cannabis (Ozikush), charas and LSD, were seized.'

He further informed, 'Five accused have been arrested in the case. They have been identified as Tushar Chetan Verma (21), Sumit Santosh Dedwal (25), Akshay Sukhlal Maher (25), Malay Rajesh Deliwala (28) and Swaraj Anant Bhosale (28). Police have also frozen Rs 7.80 lakh from the bank accounts of the arrested accused. All the accused have been remanded to police custody.'

Police said Verma was initially apprehended from the Khadki area based on specific inputs about narcotics sales.

During interrogation, it was revealed that his associates Dedwal and Maher had rented a flat in the Pimpri area, where hydroponic marijuana was being cultivated. Acting on this information, a police team raided the flat and seized hydroponic cannabis along with equipment used for its cultivation. (ANI)