Noida, July 21 (IANS) The Gautam Buddha Nagar Police Commissionerate on Tuesday arrested a cannabis smuggler and uncovered a startling plot by the accused to supply the contraband across states.
The arrested person had deployed an ambulance for smuggling the contraband to escape police, and his arrest led to the seizure of 64 kilograms.
The accused has been identified as Omveer Singh, a resident of Agra. Police found in its initial probe that he had modified the ambulance, constructing a chamber where a patient is normally laid down, to hide the contraband.
The operation to nab him was conducted jointly by the Noida Phase-1 Police and the Narcotics Cell on Tuesday. Acting on manual intelligence and confidential information, the joint team nabbed him. About 64 kilograms of cannabis, estimated to be worth Rs 13 lakh in market value, was recovered from the ambulance.
The police impounded the Maruti Eeco ambulance, without a number plate, which was used for smuggling cannabis.
Omveer Singh, 48, was arrested near Jhundpura border. He is a resident of Nagar village in Agra.
Investigation revealed that he had modified the ambulance in a highly cunning manner. A secret chamber was constructed beneath the area where a patient is normally laid down. Additionally, a special compartment had been created under the attendant’s seat to conceal large quantities of cannabis.
During interrogation, he admitted to sourcing a specific variety of cannabis from Odisha and supplying it to the Delhi-NCR region.
Explaining his motive, he said he opted for an ambulance because such vehicles are typically accorded priority at toll plazas and during police checks and are rarely stopped. He sought to exploit this route to transport cannabis from one state to another.
Revealing his modus operandi, he told police that upon reaching Delhi, the cannabis was packed into smaller packets and supplied locally. He used the profits from this illicit trade to fund his hobbies and a lavish lifestyle.
The Gautam Buddha Nagar police are now searching for other individuals linked to this smuggling network. They are also investigating if the arrested person has any link with any gang or cannabis suppliers.
–IANS
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