Andhra Police seize 620 kg marijuana on way to Maha, arrest one

Krishnavaram (Andhra Pradesh), Aug 26 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh Police seized over 500 kg of marijuana, valued at Rs 12 lakh, in the state's East Godavari district while it was being ferried to Maharashtra in a truck, an official said on Wednesday.The vehicle driver has been arrested.Acting on a tipoff received by East Godavari Superintendent of Police M. Ravindranath Babu, police set up a checkpoint at Krishnavaram toll plaza on NH-16 and began searching vehicles.The drug, amounting to 620 kg and packed in 21 sacks, was found on a truck with Maharashtra number plates."To conceal the marijuana, a tarpaulin sheet was used to cover the rear part of the truck and an attempt was made to show that the truck was empty," said a police official.Truck driver Abdul Kalim Ande Nazir Sheikh (51), a resident of Maharashtra's Amravati district, was arrested.Two more accused involved in this case, one from Maharashtra and another from Andhra's Darakonda, are on the run.Sheikh sourced the marijuana from Darakonda village in Visakha agency area and was attempting to take it to Maharashtra.
--IANS sth/vd