Telangana Court's Crackdown on Organized Drug Trafficking

A Telangana court sentenced eight individuals to a decade of rigorous imprisonment in a high-profile drug trafficking case. The NCB's crackdown intercepted 681 kg of cannabis being smuggled. Convicted under the NDPS Act, the individuals face a fine and highlight the NCB's commitment to eradicating drug networks.

In a significant ruling, a court in Telangana has sentenced eight individuals to ten years of rigorous imprisonment for their involvement in a high-profile case of organized drug trafficking, officials revealed on Tuesday.

The case, originating on February 24, 2021, saw the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) intercept a significant cache of 681 kg of Cannabis at the Pedda Amberpet toll plaza located on the Nehru Outer Ring Road. The seizure occurred in the Ranga Reddy district as the narcotics were being transported in three vehicles. This operation resulted in the arrest of Suresh Shyamrao Pawar, Vishal Ramesh Pawar, Balaji Ramdas Ware, Manoj Vilas Dhotre, Dhyaneshwar Lalasaheb Deshmukh, Ramraje Chaturbhuj Gunjale, Akshay Anant Gandhi, and Sachin Dagadu Sanap.

Officials detailed that the arrested individuals were engaged in smuggling large quantities of narcotics from Sileru in Visakhapatnam to Pune and Osmanabad by passing through Hyderabad. The Additional District and Sessions Court sentenced them to imprisonment along with a Rs 1 lakh fine each under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. This case underscores the NCB's dedication to dismantling drug syndicates, aligning with data from the UNODC stating cannabis as a widely used illicit substance.

(With inputs from agencies.)