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An inter-district ganja smuggling racket has been uncovered by the police in Raniganj, West Bengal, where a large quantity of ganja was hidden in fish boxes on a truck. The operation took place on Friday morning when police, acting on a tip-off, intercepted a truck traveling from Belda in Medinipur to Dubrajpur in Birbhum. The truck, loaded with fish boxes, was stopped in front of a petrol pump in the Punjabi Mor area, leading to the discovery of the contraband concealed under the fish.
The truck driver, Shubhankar Singh, and his assistant, Abhijeet Saini, were taken into custody on suspicion of involvement in the smuggling operation. Upon interrogation, Shubhankar revealed that he had been driving the truck for an individual named Raju, a truck owner from Contai. According to Shubhankar, he was unaware that ganja was being transported and claimed he was simply carrying fish boxes to Dubrajpur.
Both Shubhankar and Abhijeet maintained their innocence, stating that they did not know the ganja hidden under the fish. When questioned about the quantity of ganja loaded in the truck, Shubhankar was unable to provide details, suggesting that a different driver may have loaded the contraband. Additionally, he admitted he did not possess a receipt from the weighing scale, further complicating the investigation.
The police are now working to identify and apprehend Raju, the truck owner, as well as other individuals potentially involved in the smuggling network. Authorities suspect that the gang has been operating across multiple districts, transporting contraband disguised within perishable goods to evade detection.