Hubballi, Sept. 7: In a swift joint operation, officials of the Karnataka Excise Department and the Railway Protection Force (RPF) seized more than 11 kilograms of ganja, valued at around ₹11.02 lakh, from the premises of the Sri Siddharoodhaswamy Railway Station here on Saturday.
The contraband, packed in 10 bundles and concealed in a black duffel bag, was discovered near a drinking water unit close to platform no. 1 subway. The bag, left unattended, contained the narcotic substance tightly wrapped in brown paper along with stems and dry flower heads.
Excise Inspector Shivanand B. Rahutar, who led the operation, said the seizure followed a tip-off received over phone. Acting swiftly, a team comprising RPF personnel reached the spot around 1:30 p.m. and recovered the bag. The entire search and seizure process was documented through video and audio recordings, officials added.
A case has been registered under sections 20(b), 20(b)(ii)(B), 25, and 8(c) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. The accused remain unidentified, and an investigation is underway.
RPF personnel involved in the operation included: Sub Inspector Abhishek Reddy, MG Nayak, ASI, Head Constables ML Gopal, SS Kakani, HM Chavan, constables’ CV Bangari, SM Rafi, and dog squad with dog “Alex”
