Coimbatore police seize 202 kg ganja in two separate raids, two arrested
In a significant anti-narcotics operation on Friday (August 21), the Prohibition Enforcement Wing (PEW) of the Coimbatore District (Rural) Police seized 181 kg of ganja near Karumathampatti and arrested one person. In a separate incident the same day, the Kovilpalayam police recovered 21 kg of ganja and arrested a 21-year-old man, taking the total seizure in the district to 202 kg.
According to police, the Periyanaickenpalayam unit of the PEW had intensified surveillance and vehicle checks at Karumathampatti based on specific intelligence about the smuggling of ganja. During the operation, personnel noticed a man behaving in a suspicious manner near a road leading to a private engineering college. The man, identified as C. Chiranjeevi (39), a resident of Theni district, was questioned and later led the police team to a location from where 181 kg of ganja was recovered.
A case was registered against Chiranjeevi under relevant provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. He was arrested and remanded in judicial custody after being produced before a magistrate.
In the second operation, Kovilpalayam police arrested M. Nandhakumar (21), a resident of Coimbatore, during a search in the Kovilpalayam area. The search was conducted on the basis of specific information. Police recovered 21 kg of ganja from his possession. He too has been booked under the NDPS Act and arrested.
The seizures are among the largest in recent weeks in the district. Under Indian law, ganja is a narcotic drug, and its cultivation, sale, purchase, and transport are prohibited except for medicinal or scientific purposes when expressly permitted. The NDPS Act specifies that possession of ganja in a quantity exceeding 20 kg constitutes a commercial quantity. Both the cases involve such commercial quantities, making the accused liable for enhanced penalties.
For offences involving commercial quantity, the law provides for rigorous imprisonment of not less than ten years, which may extend to twenty years, along with a fine of not less than one lakh rupees, which may extend to two lakh rupees. The court has the discretion to impose higher penalties under certain conditions.
The PEW is a specialised enforcement unit of the Tamil Nadu Police tasked with curbing illicit trafficking in narcotics and the violation of prohibition laws. The unit often relies on intelligence-based inputs and conducts surprise checks at strategic locations, including highways and state borders.
Coimbatore district, located in the foothills of the Western Ghats, has been identified as a transit route for ganja smuggled from neighbouring states. Police are investigating whether the two arrests made on Friday are linked and whether any other persons are involved in the smuggling network.
Police have not yet made any public statement about the source of the contraband or its intended destination. Officials said the investigation is ongoing, and further arrests are expected as efforts to identify the network continue.
Local residents have often complained about drug peddling in certain pockets of the district, and law enforcement agencies have been conducting periodic crackdowns in response. Public tip-offs have also assisted police in several such seizures. The PEW has urged citizens to report any suspicious activity related to drug trafficking to the nearest police station or through the department's helpline.
