Bhopal, Oct 8 — A Special NDPS Court in Madhya Pradesh's Guna district on Thursday sentenced a Rajasthan man to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment. It imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh for trafficking 54.380 kg of ganja from Andhra Pradesh to Delhi.
According to the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Rajesh Pal, a resident of R.C.P. Colony in Suratgarh, Rajasthan, was convicted under Sections 8(c), 20(b)(ii)(C) and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
The case relates to an operation conducted by the NCB's Bhopal Zonal Unit on August 17, 2019, when its officials intercepted a Wagon-R car at Bhopal Bypass Chauraha in Guna.
A search of the vehicle led to the seizure of 54.380 kg of ganja, which was packed in 28 packets and concealed at different places inside the car.
The packets had been wrapped with adhesive tape and hidden inside a black bag kept in the rear luggage compartment. Some of the contraband was also concealed inside a plastic panel between the driver's seat and the front passenger seat.
The concealment was detected during the search of the vehicle, following which Pal was arrested and an investigation was launched into the source and intended destination of the consignment.
The investigation established that the ganja had been sourced from Andhra Pradesh and was being transported to Delhi, indicating an inter-state trafficking link, according to the NCB.
After completion of the investigation and trial proceedings, the Special NDPS Court in Guna pronounced its verdict on Thursday, convicting Pal under the relevant provisions of the NDPS Act.
The NCB said the conviction reflected its efforts to curb the transportation of narcotic drugs across state borders.
In a statement, the agency said the conviction reinforced NCB's commitment to a zero-tolerance approach towards drug trafficking.
The agency also appealed to people to share information about the sale, transportation, or trafficking of narcotic drugs through the MANAS National Narcotics Helpline.
It urged citizens to support the fight against drug trafficking actively and said information could be provided through the toll-free number 1933. The agency added that the identity of informers would be kept confidential.
The vehicle seized in the case has also been auctioned after completion of the prescribed legal procedure and requisite formalities, the agency said.