Tirupati becoming a ‘transit point’ for ganja smuggling is a cause for concern

 Tirupati district saw a 25% decline in cases in 2022, thanks to visible policing, says SP

The Tirupati Police have achieved a higher recovery rate of the stolen properties and improved the rate of filing charge-sheets in cases in the 2022 calendar. However, the seizure of huge amounts of ganja meant to be transported to the southern States appears to be a cause for concern.

According to police, the smugglers who procure ganja from the Visakhapatnam belt of Andhra Pradesh is using Tirupati as a ‘transit point’ before transporting the contraband to Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

The smugglers use railway network to transport the contraband as it remains a ‘lesser-screened’ option. However, the Police Department, of late, has laid its focus on Gudur and Renigunta junctions, the entry points to Tamil Nadu.

Just a few days ago, the Police Department destroyed 1,174 kg ganja which were seized in 102 cases in 2022, while nearly 3,000 kg more is ready to be disposed of. The volume of seizure is a testimony to the presence of a well-oiled network engaged in smuggling operations.

After reorganisation in April 2022, the peripheral contour of Tirupati district has changed with the inclusion of three Nellore constituencies, which also brought the seacoast into its fold.

“Apart from the Lord Venkateswara temple at Tirumala, we have to guard high-security targets such as the sea coast areas, Sriharikota launch station, Asia’s largest private SEZ in Sri City, Electronics Manufacturing Cluster at Renigunta, premier national institutions like the IIT, IISER and IIIT. The level of surveillance has been increased manifold,” Tirupati Superintendent of Police P. Parameswara Reddy told the media on December 29 (Thursday).