Five-member gang tries to smuggle 661 kg ganja to Sri Lanka, awarded 20 years in jail

TIRUCHY: A gang of smugglers, including two from Chennai, who tried to ferry a whopping 661 kg ganja to Sri Lanka, were sentenced to 20 years imprisonment by the Thanjavur additional district court on Thursday.

In February 2020, the Madurai unit of Tamil Nadu police’s Narcotics Intelligence Bureau received a tip-off about smuggling of drugs, following which the officials stepped up vigil in Nagapattinam district. On February 12, a special team spotted a stationary lorry in Ayakkaranpulam village near Vedaranyam.

Growing suspicious, the officials searched the vehicle and found 310 kgs of ganja wrapped in packets. During investigation, the officials found that the vehicle’s number plate was fake and it belonged to Andhra Pradesh.

After investigation, the special team arrested Ramanan (43) and Davamani (38) from Tiruvottiyur in Chennai, and Ayyappan (39), Paramanandam (47) and Selvaraj (58) from Nagapattinam.

During interrogation, Ramanan and Davamani admitted to planning to smuggle 661 kg of ganja in two cartons on February 6. The plan was to transport it to Sri Lanka by a mechanised boat.

Following this, the ganja and the container lorry were seized, and the five accused were produced before the court.

The case was proceeding in the Thanjavur Additional District Court. On Thursday, judge G Sundarajan awarded 20 years of imprisonment and a fine of Rs one lakh to all the five accused.