Noida: An interstate drug smuggler who was using an ambulance to transport cannabis from Odisha to Delhi-NCR, exploiting the emergency vehicle’s exemption from routine checks and toll inspections, was arrested on Monday. Officers seized 64kg of cannabis from the vehicle, valued at approximately Rs 13 lakh in the international market. The ambulance has also been seized.According to additional DCP Manisha Singh, the Phase 1 police station team received a tip-off about the operation. Officers set up checks near the Jhundpura border based on the information on Tuesday and intercepted a Maruti Eeco ambulance without a registration number plate. A search later led to the seizure of the drugs and Omveer Singh, a resident of Agra, was arrested on the spot.The accused told cops that he regularly procured a special variety of cannabis from Odisha and transported it to Delhi using the ambulance, staying under the radar as emergency vehicles generally aren’t stopped at toll plazas or during routine police checks. Once the drugs were smuggled into Delhi, the cannabis was divided into smaller packets and supplied to customers in different parts of Delhi-NCR.An FIR has been registered against the accused under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Efforts are now being focused on identifying the interstate network behind the racket. Investigators are trying to determine the gang in Odisha that supplied the cannabis and trace the buyers and distributors operating in Delhi-NCR.Police said they are seeking the accused’ s custodial remand to interrogate him further and uncover the full extent of the smuggling network. Authorities have also appealed to the public to report any information related to drug trafficking or other suspicious activities.
