Thane: 46-year-old man arrested with ganja worth Rs 4.27 lakh

The accused, who hails from Uttar Pradesh, has been booked under the NDPS Act. Representational Pic

A 46-year-old man was arrested in Maharashtra's Thane district for allegedly possessing ganja worth Rs 4.27 lakh, police said on Friday, reported PTI.

Kuldeep Bacchu Singh, a resident of the Mithpada-Sangampada area, was apprehended on Wednesday by the Crime Branch Unit-II of Bhiwandi police with 8 kg of the contraband, an official said.

The seized ganja is valued at Rs 4.27 lakh, he added. The accused, who hails from Uttar Pradesh, has been booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, the news agency reported.

A probe is underway to identify the source of the contraband and its intended recipients, the official said.

Punjab Police conducts statewide anti-drug operation, carry out 187 arrests in a day: DGP Arpit Shukla

Punjab Police carried out a massive Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) across the state as part of its ongoing anti-drug campaign, ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh', resulting in the registration of 155 cases and the arrest of 187 individuals in a single day, Director General of Police (Law and Order) Arpit Shukla said on Thursday.

Speaking on the development, the DGP said the operation was conducted under the directions of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and targeted identified drug hotspots across the state.

"The operation was supervised by senior officers, including ADGs, IGs, and DIGs from the headquarters, along with district SSPs and DIGs. We have recorded 155 cases today, arrested 187 individuals, and recovered a huge quantity of heroin and tablets," Shukla stated.

Highlighting the impact of the year-long campaign, he said that ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh' has been instrumental in curbing drug-related activities in Punjab.

"The campaign has been operational for the past year and has led to the registration of around 80,119 cases, with 54,190 arrests made. Additionally, more than 2,384 kilograms of heroin has been recovered so far," he added.

In a separate incident earlier on March 14, Amritsar Rural Police busted an ISI-sponsored terror and cross-border arms smuggling module, apprehending two accused and recovering rifles, pistols, and cartridges, according to the Punjab DGP.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the accused were in contact with foreign-based handlers through social media. The module was also involved in radicalisation and spreading anti-India and anti-police narratives.

(With PTI inputs)