Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 11 February 2025
An autorickshaw driver was arrested by the police at Bimblitan Chowk in South Andaman on Monday (10th February 2025) for possessing 4.29 kg of ganja. The contraband was concealed in the engine casing at the rear of his autorickshaw (registration number AN01 R 0584).
Inspector Girish Kumar, Station House Officer (SHO) of the Police Station Crime and Economic Offence, received credible information about the presence of illicit ganja in the autorickshaw. He informed Deputy Superintendent of Police (Dy.SP) – CID, Mr. Kumar Abhishek, DANIPS, and a raiding team was immediately formed.
The team included Inspector Girish Kumar, SI P. Moideen Kutty, ASI Mohd. Rafique, Head Constables Sanjay Kujur and K. Venkateshwar Rao, and Police Constables K. Rajendran and Bala Subramanium (Police Photographer). The team, equipped with a drug detection kit and an electronic weighing machine, reached Bimblitan Chowk.
The police intercepted the autorickshaw driven by Animesh Ezzeddar, a resident of Jodakalan, and explained the search procedure to him. The accused was given the option to have the search conducted in the presence of a magistrate or a gazetted officer, which he declined. Upon conducting a search of the vehicle, the police found two packets concealed in the engine casing at the rear of the autorickshaw. The packets were wrapped in newspaper and duct tape.
A preliminary test using the drug detection kit confirmed the substance to be ganja. The two packets, weighing a total of 4.29 kg, were sealed and seized on the spot in the presence of independent witnesses. The autorickshaw was also confiscated.
The entire search and seizure process was documented using the e-shakhsya app and recorded by Police Photographer Bala Subramanium. The brass seal used during the process was handed over to a witness for safe custody.
The accused, Animesh Ezzeddar, was arrested under Section 20(b)(ii)(B) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. He was taken to the police station along with the seized items for further investigation.