Marijuana worth Rs 24 lakh seized, 1 arrested in Belagavi

District Crime Intelligence Bureau (DCIB) of the District Police arrested a person accused to be an interstate marijuana peddler from Miraj town in Sangli district in Maharashtra and seized contraband worth Rs 24 lakh from his possession. Manhunt has been launched to nab two persons from Warangal and Hyderabad in Telangana who had been supplying the stocks to the accused.

Superintendent of Police Laxman Nimbargi informed on Saturday that Chikkodi police on September 22, had arrested accused identified as Washim Shaikh resident of Miraj and had seized marijuana weighing 2 kg from his possession, while his accomplice and main accused Ashpak Mainuddin Mulla resident of Miraj had escaped.

DCIB team led by Police Inspector Ningangouda Patil investigating the case succeeded in nabbing Mulla from Miraj on September 23. During interrogation, Mulla informed that two persons from Warangal and Hyderabad had been supplying him marijuana and he had been selling in Miraj and Sangli in Maharashtra and in Chikkodi, Belagavi and Dharwad in the state, he said.

Police seized marijuana weighing 40 kg which he had stocked in packets in rear portion of a car parked at Mahishal village in Miraj taluk and 78 kg packets in farmhouse in agricultural lands in the same village. A total of 60 packets of marijuana each containing 2 kg worth Rs 24 lakh were recovered. Car and scooter were worth Rs 4.80 lakh were also seized. Two more accused who supplied the contraband were being searched, he informed.

Nimbargi complimented the team led by Patil in investigating the case.