Surat, June 20 (IANS) The Special Operations Group (SOG) of Surat City Police in Gujarat has arrested a 35-year-old man and seized 497 grams of prohibited hybrid ganja valued at Rs 17.39 lakh during an operation in the Adajan area, as part of the city police’s ongoing drive against narcotics trafficking, officials said on Saturday.

According to police, the operation was carried out following specific intelligence inputs received by SOG personnel.

Acting on the information, a surveillance team was deployed near Shilalekh Apartment on Circus Road in Adajan on the evening of June 18.

During the operation, officers intercepted Raviraj Marvaniya, a diamond artisan residing in the Chok Bazaar area of Surat and originally from Junagadh district, who was travelling on a two-wheeler.

A search conducted in the presence of independent witnesses led to the recovery of a suspicious substance concealed in a plastic bag.

An officer from the Forensic Science Laboratory examined the material at the scene and confirmed that it was hybrid ganja, a prohibited narcotic substance.

Police seized the 497-gram consignment, which was valued at Rs 17,39,500. In addition to the narcotics, officers recovered Rs 17,200 in cash, a two-wheeler worth Rs 75,000 and a mobile phone valued at Rs 10,000.

The handset was found to contain two active WhatsApp accounts linked to international virtual telephone numbers.

The total value of the seized property was estimated at Rs 18,41,700.

During questioning, Marvaniya allegedly told investigators that he had obtained the narcotics consignment from a person identified as Parth alias A.T. in the Katargam area and was transporting it for delivery when he was apprehended.

Police have declared the supplier wanted and launched efforts to trace him. Surat Police said the action formed part of the “No Drugs in Surat City” campaign initiated under the directions of Police Commissioner Anupam Singh Gehlot to curb the trafficking and distribution of narcotic substances in the city.

Based on a complaint lodged by SOG Police Inspector J.M. Parmar, a case has been registered at Adajan Police Station under relevant provisions of the NDPS Act and the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.

Further investigation is underway under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner of Police (SOG) Rajdeepsinh Nakum.

–IANS

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