The ganja mafia, the most hunted after racket by Kochi police, is now operating through private bus workers and auto drivers; this was revealed in the recent captures and cases.
Most arrests made in the city in the recent past in connection with the ganja and ampoule trade have auto drivers and bus workers involved, according to special branch police.
The latest news on Monday was the arrest of three bus operators from Kakkanad who had been selling ganja to other bus workers, migrant labourers and students who are regular passengers in the bus. Ganja is sold in small packets with prices ranging from Rs100 to Rs500, according to a police source.
“Usually inter-district private buses coming from the Idukky areas, take the role of transporters of ganja to Kochi. In Idukky, there are many regions where ganja is being cultivated on a large scale without getting noticed by police. A large quantity of these ganja packets are brought to the city every day. Since these buses are regular services, they hardly fall in the police radar and easily sneak in with the weed,” said a top source in the special branch police.
Police has now received a tip-off that most private bus workers play the role of middlemen in the ganja trade in the city. Most workers are also addicted to ganja smoking, according to the police source.
“The issue is really grave as there are bus drivers who smoke ganja and then drive the bus, placing the lives of people in and out of the bus in danger,” he added.
Several auto drivers in the city are also major players in the drug and ganja trade here, recent arrests reveal.Special branch police recently held an auto driver on charge of trading ampoules.