Andaman police apprehend three individuals involved in ganja smuggling

Port Blair: Andaman and Nicobar Police has arrested three persons in connection with an organised contraband racket in the island.

The trio, identified as Malser Paul (33), A. Naganathan (40), and Akash Dubey (23), have been remanded to police custody for three days, an officer said, adding they were involved in smuggling ganja (cannabis) to Port Blair via private courier services.

Malser and Naganathan were arrested on February 13 from Gurudwara Lane in Port Blair, while Akash was apprehended from the same location a day later, police said.

Rajeev Ranjan (IPS), Superintendent of Police, CID, told PTI, ''Based on specific intelligence inputs regarding the transportation of contraband through courier services, the Central Crime Station conducted a raid at Gurudwara Lane and arrested Malser Paul (a resident of Lillipur in Haddo) with two kilograms of ganja which was transported from the mainland through private courier services.'' A case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985 has been registered at the Anti-Narcotics Police Station in Port Blair. During investigation, Malser disclosed the name of co-accused Naganathan (a priest). Later, Naganathan, a resident of Sunder Colony in Haddo, and the mastermind Akash Dubey, a resident of Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, were apprehended from Gurudwara Lane, police added.

''During investigation, it was revealed that Dubey transported ganja from Kolkata through courier services, which used to be received by Naganathan and Paul. They then sold it to youths. With this operation, we have successfully dismantled the entire chain of drug supply in the islands,'' the SP, CID said.