TN cops to freeze bank a/cs, assets of ganja, gutkha traders

Chennai: The State police on Thursday said that investigators will freeze bank accounts of ganja and gutkha dealers, besides seizing properties purchased using the proceeds of crime.

“We have started doing it already in certain districts and all the policemen have been asked to comply so that there is a check on activities of ganja and gutkha dealers,” said DGP C Sylendra Babu, head of the police force, Tamil Nadu.

This is the first time police are using the tactics of freezing accounts against ganja traders.

In Dindigul, police have frozen 10 bank accounts, seized six properties of three ganja traders, while in Madurai police froze 29 bank accounts and seized four properties of seven ganja traders. Similarly, in Theni, police froze eight bank accounts of six ganja traders.

During last month’s drive against ganja and gutkha, Tamil Nadu police arrested 2,423 ganja traders across the State and seized 3,562 kg of narcotics. Similarly 6,319 gutkha traders were arrested during the same period, besides 45 tonnes of tobacco products being seized. Police also seized 113 vehicles during the one-month long operation ganja vettai 2.0.