Greater Noida: Three men allegedly involved in smuggling from Odisha to Noida have been arrested, the Greater Noida police said on Wednesday, adding that over 100 kilograms of marijuana worth nearly ₹25 lakh were also recovered from their possession.
The three identified as Rinku Yadav 32, Sanjeev Sahu, 32 and Abhishek Kumar, 32, were arrested for allegedly selling illegal marijuana from a road along a drain near the Expo Mart area, said officials.
Police said the arrests by a Knowledge Park police team followed a tip-off about drug peddling in the area. The suspects were intercepted near Expo Mart while allegedly transporting a large consignment of marijuana.
About the suspects’ modus operandi, police said, it involved sourcing marijuana from Odisha and supplying it to smaller dealers in Noida and nearby areas. “They would rent rooms at different locations across the NCR, store the marijuana there and distribute it using hired taxi cars on a daily basis. We are also tracking the smaller suppliers. We recovered around 103 kilograms of marijuana from their possession,” said Sudhir Kumar, ADCP, Greater Noida.
Preliminary investigation has revealed that they purchased marijuana in Odisha at ₹4,000– ₹5,000 per kg and sold it in the NCR for ₹15,000– ₹20,000 per kg, said police.
Police added all three suspects have multiple previous criminal cases registered against them in Noida and have been in and out of jail earlier.
They have been booked under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, and further probe is underway to identify other members of the drug supply network registered at Knowledge Park police station.