The Hindu : Front Page : Inter-State gang of smugglers busted

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Monday, Mar 05, 2007
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Inter-State gang of smugglers busted

Staff Reporter

Nexus between naxals and gang suspected; smuggling of ganja, arms detected

NEXUS UNVEILED: Superintendent of Police Soumya Mishra inspecting the van used for smuggling ganja and arms, in Warangal on Sunday. - Photo: M.Murali

WARANGAL: On a tip-off, the district police discovered the nexus between ganja smugglers and various revolutionary groups operating in the district. Those involved in smuggling ganja were also smuggling arms from Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and others parts of the country for use by naxal groups in the State, according to Superintendent of Police Soumya Mishra.

A team led by Circle Inspector P Sobhan Kumar and Sub Inspectors Narsimha Rao, Shiva Ramaiah and Phaninder arrested the gang members at Annasagar crossroads on the outskirts of Warangal. On their confession, the police also seized 11 bags of ganja worth Rs 2.50 lakhs from the house of Gandu Ramakrishna of Durgampet village, Atmakur mandal, and arrested him.

Weapons recovered

On further investigations, the police recovered nine short weapons and 250 kg of ganja on Sunday. The smugglers' gang led by Mekapothula Venugopal Reddy alias Gopal Reddy alias Goutham Reddy alias Goutham Patel, native of Alair village, Nellikudur mandal, was assisted by Sasarla Ramana Reddy, Kothapally Darshan, Naini Naveen Reddy and eight others of Warangal district.

The SP said the smugglers developed links with naxal groups such as CPI (ML)-Prathighatana, CPI (ML) Praja Prathighatana and Communist Party of United States of India (CPUSI) operating in Warangal district.

The gang members used to procure the weapons from Shahad Bhai, a native of Bakarpur, Munger district in Bihar, and Anand of Satna in Madhya Pradesh and used to supply the weapons to naxal groups at premium rates. The gang so far had supplied 39 pistols and two carbines to the naxal groups.

The gang members modified the chassis and top of a Tata Sumo and a DCM van for transporting the ganja and also the weapons. They used to supply ganja and the weapons by loading fruit and products like coconuts in the DCM van. The owners of the two vehicles, Bochu Yadagiri and Gaddam Ramesh, were also taken into custody. About six days ago the gang members reportedly had gone to Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh with eight quintals of ganja and sold it for Rs 7 lakhs. They purchased five 9 mm pistols and four 7.62 mm calibre pistols along with one extra magazine from Bihar for Rs 1.22 lakh and returned by train up to Jabalpur and from there by road to Andhra Pradesh.

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