Three habitual ganja smugglers in Anakapalli face PIT NDPS action

Anakapalli district police have invoked Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PIT NDPS) Act, 1988, against three habitual ganja smugglers, with a history of repeated involvement in narcotics cases.

Anakapalli Superintendent of Police (SP), Tuhin Sinha, warned that the police would maintain constant surveillance over those involved in ganja-related activities in the district. Anyone found cultivating, storing, purchasing or transporting ganja would face stringent legal action, he said, adding that habitual offenders would be dealt with under laws such as the PIT NDPS Act and the Preventive Detention Act.

The three accused have been detained and lodged in Visakhapatnam Central Prison. According to the police, R. Bodakonda alias Nani from Narsipatnam was allegedly involved in inter-State ganja smuggling. He was reportedly transporting large consignments of ganja from the Agency areas of Alluri Sitharama Raju district to destinations including Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and Hyderabad.

He has six previous ganja cases registered against him at different police stations. The second accused, K. Sattibabu of Golugonda mandal, has three ganja cases against him. The third accused, Paila Suresh of Makavarapalem mandal, was involved in two previous ganja cases registered at Makavarapalem police station.

Narsipatnam police said that despite their earlier arrests and imprisonment, the three accused had allegedly continued their involvement in the illegal trade, posing a threat to public order and the future of youth.

The preventive detention provisions under the PIT NDPS Act were invoked to prevent them from continuing their alleged activities. A team comprising Narsipatnam Rural Circle Inspector L. Revatamma, took the three accused into custody in separate cases. They were subsequently shifted to Visakhapatnam Central Prison.