Nagpur: Railway Local Crime Branch (LCB) thwarted an attempt to smuggle ganja by nabbing 2 peddlers from Odisha while they were headed towards Surat in Puri-Ahmedabad Express. Police said the duo had booked premium tatkal tickets in the AC coach to avoid suspicion and ensure a comfortable journey while transporting the banned contraband.Acting on a tip-off, a team led by police inspector Amol Daound conducted a thorough check of AC 3-tier coach B-6 at Nagpur railway station. The search resulted in recovery of approximately 10kg of ganja valued at 2 lakh from two passengers.The accused have been identified as Shantanu Pradhan (25) and Bulla Shetty (22). Shetty worked in Gujarat as a labourer, said police.Sources said Nagpur, being a major rail junction, has become a key transit point for such interstate smuggling activities.The raid was carried out under the guidance of SP Mangesh Shinde. A case was registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Investigation is in progress to trace the source of the ganja and identify any larger smuggling network operating through railways.
