Port Blair, April 1: In a major success against narcotics smuggling into the Islands, Police have seized 32 kilograms of Ganja and arrested seven drug-traffickers on Saturday (30/3/13).  This is the biggest haul of narcotics so far.

Police have been maintaining close vigil over activities of drug peddlers and suspected traffickers and had cracked a courier network to smuggle drugs, resulting in detection of two cases earlier this year. 

On a secret information, a special team of PS Aberdeen comprising of ASI M. A. Rasheed, HC Sanjay Kujur, HC Surya Narayan, HC P.M. Manoj Kumar, PC Rakesh Toppo, PC Ashish Mallick, PC Mohd. Imran and PC M. Raja Rao, headed by SHO Insp. D. Jagdishwar Rao, conducted a raid in Junglighat area and intercepted seven persons with huge quantity of ganja which was brought through a shipping container from Chennai for peddling through local drug dealers. 

On interrogation, it has been revealed that the contraband had been brought camouflaged as domestic cargo from a Mainland-based drug peddler, at the instance of Mohd. Sultan (38), r/o Garacharma, Nityanand Halder @ Nitto (46), r/o Mazar Pahad, C. Kumar Lingam (29), r/o Junglighat and Vinit Kumar Rai (33), r/o Goalghar with the assistance of one auto driver M. Satishwaran (28), r/o Phoenix Bay, Ajay Singh (26), private driver, r/o Prem Nagar and Uday Bahadur (25), CSC worker, r/o Prem Nagar. All these seven accused have been arrested under u/s 20 (b) (ii) (c) NDPS Act 1985 and investigation is underway.

Talking to Andaman Chronicle, Mr. Chinmoy Biswal, Superintendent of Police (CID), also Incharge SP (South Andaman District) said that Police has been able to obtain a 3 days PC Remand for the seven accused. This is the biggest haul of narcotics detected in the islands so far. Biswal further said that the case will be simultaneously investigated by the Crime Investigation Department (CID) to get more inputs and lead into such drug paddling.   

Meanwhile Police has requested the general public to pass on any credible information on narcotics substances or any illegal activity on the following telephone numbers: 233077, 232405, 100, 9434282817 and 9434288546. The informant will be suitably rewarded and his/her identity will be kept secret.

Port Blair, April 1: With the loan scheme to the tsunami affected fishermen get waived, about 370 tsunami affected fishermen from different places of the Islands get benefitted. Expenditure sanction was accorded by the Lt Governor to reimburse loan of Rs 2.10 crores to 12 banks, which had extended the loan to the tsunami affected fishermen. This includes an amount of Rs 1.57 crores as principal amount and Rs 46.00 lakhs as interest amount.

It may be recalled that the A&N Administration had recommended to the Govt. of India for waiving the entire loan along with the interest amount granted to fishermen for repair, replacement and up-gradation of boats damaged due to the tsunami.

The matter was taken by the Lt Governor with the Ministry of Home Affairs and after protracted correspondence, the Central Govt.  approved the proposal for waiver of loan of tsunami affected fishermen of the Islands. 

Port Blair, April 1: The Lt Governor being on official tour to mainland would not be present for Tuesday’s public hearing on 2nd April 2013. Persons desirous to present their grievances can, however, submit the same to the Secretary to Lt Governor in Raj Niwas from 11.00 AM to 12.30 PM on this day.