BELAGAVI
In a significant anti-narcotics operation on a train bound for Goa, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP) seized nearly 30 kg of dry ganja worth Rs 14.92 lakh from the Shalimar–Vasco Amaravati Express (Train No. 18047) at Ballari Railway Station.
The seizure was made during a surprise inspection of the Goa-bound train at Platform No 1. Railway personnel found two unclaimed trolley bags concealed beneath a passenger seat in the general coach. On opening the bags, officers discovered multiple packets containing dry ganja.
The contraband weighed 29.845 kgs and has an estimated market value of Rs 14,92,250. The entire consignment was seized and handed over to the GRP station in Ballari for further legal action.
A case has been registered as Crime No. 17/2026 under Section 20(b) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, against unidentified persons.
The GRP has launched an investigation to identify those responsible and determine the source and intended destination of the narcotics.
The seizure assumes significance as the Amaravati Express terminates at Vasco, raising the possibility that the narcotics were being transported towards the coastal state. Investigators are examining all angles, including the intended delivery point and those involved in the trafficking network.
