Hyderabad, July 2 (IANS) The Hyderabad Narcotics Enforcement Wing (H-NEW) has dismantled a major interstate drug trafficking syndicate that was covertly distributing ‘ganja’ (cannabis) across India using postal and courier services.

Operating primarily out of Jharkhand, the network was busted following the arrest of its key mastermind, Satyam Misra, H-NEW said on Thursday.

Satyam Misra, a native of Giridih district, Jharkhand, is a former painter and transport vehicle driver. His elder brother Shubham Misra alias Shubham Dada, Rahul Jha alias Chote Misra (Parcel booking and dispatch agent), Sachin Misra (Relative of Satyam Misra – Mumbai network coordinator) and Santosh Pandit (Mumbai network coordinator) are absconding.

According to police, Satyam Misra initially worked as a painter and subsequently took up driving commercial transport vehicles to various states. During these transit trips, he frequently visited Mumbai. In 2018, Satyam became addicted to ganja, bringing him into contact with local drug consumers and peddlers. Eager to make quick money, he, along with his elder brother Shubham Misra, entered the illegal ganja trade. They eventually formed a highly organised syndicate by recruiting Sachin Misra, Rahul Jha, and Santosh Pandit.

The syndicate procured ganja by cultivating it in their native village, in addition to sourcing it from unidentified local sources in Jharkhand, and supplied it to customers across nearly 21 states, including major cities such as Hyderabad, Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi, and Bengaluru.

To ship the contraband, they utilised the Isri Bazar and Phusro Bazar Post Offices in Jharkhand. To deceive postal authorities during Speed Post bookings, the accused falsely declared that the parcels contained medicines. While Satyam Misra and his brother Shubham Misra prepared and packed the consignments, Rahul Jha primarily managed the bookings and dispatches. The syndicate extensively used WhatsApp and other social media platforms to receive orders, coordinate delivery locations, and process digital payments.

According to police, the syndicate executed approximately 80 to 100 orders per day across India, with 8 to 10 consignments dispatched through Speed Post daily. Each parcel typically contained 50 to 250 grams of ganja, which was sold to customers for Rs 1,500 to Rs 8,000 per order. Through this structured network, the syndicate generated daily earnings of approximately Rs 100,000, translating to nearly Rs 30 to Rs 35 lakhs per month and an annual turnover of around Rs 4 to Rs 5 crores.

Apart from postal dispatches, the gang operated a vast network in Mumbai with over 1,000 regular consumers. Shubham Misra personally transported bulk quantities of ganja by train from Jharkhand to Mumbai, where it was stored at the residences of Sachin Misra and Santosh Pandit.

The syndicate’s operations came to light when H-NEW intercepted a ganja parcel sent via Isri Bazar Post Office to a recipient in Hyderabad. Upon questioning the apprehended receiver, the supply chain was exposed. Another parcel sent via Phusro Bazar Post Office to another local customer was also traced, and both recipients were detained.

Upon learning about the police action in Hyderabad, the accused gang members altered their identities and attempted to flee. Consequently, separate cases have been registered regarding these illicit transactions under the jurisdiction of the Gudimalkapur and S.R. Nagar Police Stations. In connection with these cases, two Hyderabad-based buyers identified as Sushanth Vyas and Laddu, who had booked the contraband, were arrested, and 2 kilograms of ganja were seized from their possession.

H-NEW said that during the investigation, a serious security vulnerability was identified. The parcels were transit-shipped across different states via trains and commercial flights. Notably, the consignments sent to Hyderabad arrived via air transport. Investigation revealed that these parcels were not subjected to any scanning during train or air transit.

In light of this critical security gap, the Hyderabad City Police has decided to formally write to the higher authorities of the concerned central departments to implement robust scanning and screening protocols for postal parcels.

Following the revelation of ganja smuggling through courier services, the Hyderabad City Police is intensifying surveillance on courier agencies. All courier agencies across the city are instructed to mandatorily scan every parcel they book and deliver.

–IANS

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