2 days ago
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Forty radical person been identified and respective arrested successful transportation with an planetary hydroponic cannabis smuggling syndicate that allegedly trafficked the narcotic substance from Thailand to India utilizing a web of carriers. Investigators revealed links crossed Telangana, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and different States.
According to the Elite Action Group for Drug Law Enforcement Force (EAGLE Force), the syndicate was allegedly led by Hemang Pramod Keluskar of Mumbai and his member Sudhanshu Pramod Keluskar, who are accused of establishing a web successful Thailand successful 2023 to procure and smuggle hydroponic cannabis into India.
Director of EAGLE, Sandeep Shandilya said the radical recruited carriers to transport the contraband done antithetic planetary airports and distributed it done a web of handlers and peddlers. It was besides revealed that the brothers were progressive successful red sandalwood smuggling successful 2013 and switched to narcotic commercialized aft looking astatine the request and precocious returns, said the officer.
Most of the cause mules were from Gujarat and Telangana. The lawsuit originated from the interception of Mohsin Bahadurbhai Sodha astatine Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad connected April 7, 2026, with 13.2 kg of hydroponic cannabis.
Subsequent surveillance by the EAGLE Force led to the apprehension of Prajapti Harshad Mansukhbhai and Sandeep Jaiprakash Vaswani alias Rahul Jain astatine BHEL Junction, Ramachandrapuram, wherever 12.739 kg of hydroponic cannabis was seized from their possession.
Police said investigations uncovered a blase cognition successful which carriers were allegedly flown to Thailand, accommodated successful Pattaya, provided luggage containing hydroponic cannabis and instructed to instrumentality done assorted Indian airports.
The contraband was past transported to Mumbai for distribution. Payments were allegedly collected successful currency and routed backmost to Thailand done hawala channels to concern further cause trafficking activities.
Investigators alleged that the syndicate entered the cannabis cultivation concern successful Thailand nether the guise of aesculapian and commercialized use. They are said to person leased a cultivation enclosure susceptible of increasing 144 cannabis plants per cycle, with up to 4 cultivation cycles annually, nether a five-year agreement.
The probe besides recovered that the syndicate had allegedly utilized astir 300 carriers to transport hydroponic cannabis from Thailand to India. Authorities said the radical often changed accomplishment airports, including Hyderabad, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Surat and Kolkata, to evade detection by enforcement agencies.
The EAGLE Force said respective arrests linked to the web had antecedently been made by Customs, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and State narcotics units astatine antithetic airports and locations crossed the country. Among those arrested successful abstracted cases were carriers and coordinators from Hyderabad, Mumbai, Gujarat and different regions.
Police said further probe is nether mode to hint the absconding accused, place further associates and found the afloat grade of the syndicate’s operations.
