[ad_1]
Madurai: Following a thorough financial investigation, the district police have frozen movable and immovable assets worth `1.56 crore belonging to three ganja peddlers and their relatives involved in a case under NP Kottai police station limits.
Superintendent of police R Shiva Prasad said that so far assets worth over `8.1 crore illegally acquired by ganja peddlers and their kin in five ganja peddling cases have been frozen. Two cases were in Sedapatti and one each in Austinpatti, Othakadai and NP Kottai. In May, three people were arrested by NP Kottai police and 21.8 kg of ganja seized.
Thereafter, police listed out properties belonging to 13 people including the three accused and their kin and began a financial investigation. “It was found that 17 movable and immovable assets worth `1.56 crore were illegally acquired in the past six years,” he said. Eleven of them were houses, five shopping complexes while one was a vehicle, all of which were frozen.
Shiva Prasad said the NDPS Act covers only blood relatives and not assets of other people like a friend or third party. “But, we are doing whatever is within our power to strip ganja peddlers’ access to their wealth to prevent peddling,” he said.
The SP noted that in case of smaller scale ganja peddlers too, bank accounts of accused and their kin were being frozen to deter them. So far, more than 150 ganja peddling cases have been registered under the district police limits this year.
The SP further emphasized that action will also be taken if proof of any police connivance is found in connection with ganja peddling cases.
“Internally, with senior officers, we are also looking into the possibility of any police connivance. If any proof is found, stern action will be taken and even an FIR may be registered,” said Shiva Prasad.
He added that suppliers of ganja from Andhra Pradesh are often linked and steps taken against local wholesale ganja peddlers will help break the supply chain.
FacebookTwitterInstagramKOO APPYOUTUBE
[ad_2]
Source link