Customs Nabbed and Seized 428kg Ganja

Recently in Vijayawada, the Customs Authority nabbed two ganja smugglers and seized about 428.675 kg of ganja worth 85.73 lahks from their possession. The incident took in Kowur of East Godavari district.

Weed, marijuana, bhang, charas, ganja and so on, cannabis in India has been given numerous names and forms over thousands of years. Ganja, the flowering or fruiting top, excludes seeds and leaves that do not form part of the top. The definition of cannabis under the NDPS Act excludes bhang as a part of the plant as well.

The Narcotic-Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act 1985 (NDPS) Act prohibits the sale and production of cannabis resin and flowers, but the use of leaves and seeds of the cannabis plant is permitted, with the states having the power to regulate and form the state rules for it. Any person caught in possession of any of these parts of the cannabis plant may be arrested.

The Bombay Prohibition (BP) Act, 1949(3) prohibits manufacturing, possessing, and consuming bhang and bhang-containing substances without a license in Maharashtra. As per section 20 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 production, sale/purchase, transportation, interstate import/export or any other commercial activity of cannabis is punishable.

The Customs officials said that they had received a tip-off about two persons illegally transporting ganja in a goods transport vehicle and intercepted them near Kovvur. It was found that the contraband was concealed in gunny bags which were stashed in a specially-built cavity inside the vehicle.

The Customs authority has taken the two accused persons into judicial custody by the court of Second Additional Judicial of First-Class Magistrate.

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