Vijayawada: A special police search operation conducted on the Puri–Tirupati express on Saturday night led to the seizure of a large consignment of ganja and the detention of two suspects from Kerala.According to the police, a joint team comprising Bapatla police, the railway protection force (RPF), government railway police (GRP), and an Eagle unit carried out checks on the train while it was between Bapatla and Chirala. During inspections in the general coach, police identified two suspicious bags that were later found to contain contraband.The two bags were recovered and searched by the special team; officers discovered nine packets containing approximately 16 kilograms of ganja. Two young men, identified as residents of Kerala, were taken into custody at the scene. Police said the arrests were made immediately after the contraband was discovered and that further investigation into the source and intended destination of the consignment is underway.SP B Umamaheshwar said the search was part of ongoing enforcement action to eradicate narcotics in the district in line with govt policy. He warned that strict action will be taken against those involved in the transportation, sale, or consumption of narcotic substances under the NDPS Act. The SP urged members of the public to report information related to drug trafficking to the toll-free numbers 112 or 1972, promising that informants’ identities will be kept strictly confidential.The SP also noted recent enforcement measures in the district. Police have identified 38 repeat offenders in narcotics-related cases who will face prosecution, and rowdy-sheets have been opened against 228 former ganja offenders as part of continued monitoring.
