New Delhi: Investigation in the recent seizure of 700 kg marijuana by Delhi Police Crime Branch revealed that the accused gang started the barter trade of liquor and marijuana soon after the liquor ban came into existence in Bihar.
Each month, vehicles carrying ganja from Bihar come to Delhi, after which either the same or different vehicles carrying liquor go the other way.
On Thursday, three men were arrested from Najafgarh and a truck carrying 700 kg ganja was seized.
The gang procures ganja from Naxalism-affected areas of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand and Chattisgarh for distribution in Delhi-NCR.
Police said that the kingpin of the gang has been identified as Vipin Kumar, who procures ganja from his contacts for Rs 1,500 per kg and sells it for as much as Rs 10,000 per kg, depending on its quality, to various wholesalers in Delhi, Gurugram, Samalkha, Ghaziabad, Meerut and Noida.
"Ganja is sold in exchange for liquor from Delhi-NCR, for distribution in the dry state of Bihar. The gang has over 50 members and is spread in many states," said a police officer.
Cops claimed that the gang uses new vehicles and new driver for transport of every new consignment, so as to dodge suspicion.
An investigator told Millennium Post that soon after the liquor ban in Bihar, the accused started dealing in barter system. "We believe that a vehicle carrying ganja comes to Delhi once or twice each month. They exchange it for liquor from the Capital and take to Bihar," said the investigator.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Bhisham Singh said that the ganja is exchanged to procure illicit liquor from various godowns in Haryana and Punjab. Certain godown owners readily accept ganja as payment for the liquor.
This illicit liquor is then supplied to Bihar in the same truck, where it is sold for hefty profits.
The modus operandi is aimed at multiplying the profits of Vipin Kumar, and even saves him from the hassles of moving money from Delhi to Bihar.