Search This Blog

Friday, June 19, 2015

the drug peddalling in Chennai ~ the undesirable side !!

Thiruvallikkeni, crudely rolled as ‘Triplicane’ is a great place, rich in literature, history, spirituality, education, patriotism, sports and more.  It is also bachelors paradise, housing many good eateries and messes.  There are so many lodging houses which in some ways pose problems too, as often we hear instances of criminals and trouble makers able to stay in hiding.

In the city of Chennai, which generally is a safe place, well-guarded by Police, we sometimes read of crime and of drug peddling.  Today’s Times of India reports that 3 kg of ganga was seized from a person staying in a lodge in Triplicane.

TOI reports that  Police on Wednesday night arrested a 55-year-old man with three kg of ganja (marijuana) from a lodge in Triplicane. Easwaran, of Cumbum in Theni district, had come to the city from Andhra Pradesh by train in the morning, an investigating officer said. He checked into a room at the lodge and went out.When an employee of the lodge came went to clean the room later, he found several items strewn around and a strange smell filled the room. He informed the manager who later called police. A team headed by TriplicaneAssistant commissioner arrived, checked his room and found the contraband. The team rearranged the articles as they had found them and waited for Eswaran. They arrested him and a court later remanded him in judicial custody .

Police said Easwaran had been smuggling ganja for the past year. He would arrive in the city every week with the narcotic sourced from Andhra Pradesh.He would get off at smaller stations like Basin Bridge to avoid police checks at Chennai Central railway station. He dressed well and never stayed at the same lodge more than once. He always arrived with a lot of baggage, including suitcases with the contraband. Eswaran had regular agents in north Chennai who would take possession of the narcotic, filled in small packets, from him, the officer said.On some occasions, agents delivered bulk quantities of the drug to Eswaran that he sold to his contacts.

“Eswaran bought the ganja in Andhra Pradesh for `4,000 a kg and sold it at almost `8,000 a kg in the city,“ the investigating officer said.“He took the remaining ganja to his hometown of Cumbum by bus and was not checked on the way.  It certainly is a crime – however 3 kgs @ 8000 translates into Rs.24000/- - is something missing in the link ?

About a week back, the CEO of a multi-national company involved in e-publishing was nabbed on Wall Tax Road  for the possession of 3.88g of the narcotic cocaine. The seized drug was reported to be of  worth about 20,000 in the local market.Based on a specific tip, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officials pounced on SanjivBhatnagar, the 50-year-old head of Jouve India Pvt Ltd, as he was taking delivery of the drug, packed in a parcel, at SMPK Cargo and Courier Services on Wall Tax Road around 3 pm. He was taken into custody along with his driver P Tulasi. Sanjiv was later remanded in judicial custody.

Sanjiv, reportedly left his office in the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) campus on Rajiv Gandhi Salai [OMR]  inTaramani around 1.30 pm with his driver did not return to office. Panicked, his wife Akilandeeswari lodged a complaint with the Taramani police. Inquiries revealed that Sanjiv and the driver were in the custody of the NCB.

Investigations revealed that Sanjiv, who ordered the cocaine through a website, was getting it from a Bengaluru-based supplier through the courier service for the past one year. "He confessed that the seized drug was for his personal use," said NCB zonal director PremAnand Sinha.NCB officials had recently discovered that some drug traffickers, who supply narcotics for rave parties, were setting up bases in the state by joining educational institutions in some capacity and getting involved in various activities, including sports.Once we were sure he was taking delivery of the packet, we nabbed him," the official added.

His driver was also arrested and remanded in judicial custody along with his boss. An employee of the courier is being questioned.Bhatnagar's wife Akilandeswari had complained to the police last night that he had not returned home, only to be informed that he had been arrested and sent to jail for drug possession.According to the NCB, Bhatnagar, who hails from Delhi, said the drug was for his personal use. He told the NCB sleuths he had been taking the drug only for a year."This is not something you pick up late in your life. Although he is not admitting it, he must have picked it up much earlier when he was working in Bangalore," said Sinha. Bhatnagar has been with Jouve for three years.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

19th June 2015.

No comments:

Post a Comment