Ahmedabad SOG seizes over 1.6 kg ganja from Naroda pan parlour, 2 held

The Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Ahmedabad Crime Branch has arrested two men and seized 1.646 kg of ganja, valued at ₹82,300, during a late-night raid at a pan parlour in the Naroda GEB Three Roads area of the city, police said on Monday.

According to the First Information Report (FIR), the raid was conducted in the early hours of December 15 at Savariya Sheth Pan Parlour, located on the ground floor of the Vraj Arctic Complex, following specific intelligence that the premises were being used for the illegal storage and retail sale of narcotics.

The accused have been identified as Vijaysinh alias Montu Balot (55), the shop owner, a native of Rajasthan currently residing in Nana Chiloda, and Piyush Prafulbhai Khalas (32), a resident of Vatva, Ahmedabad.

Police said that on the night of December 14, an SOG team led by Police Inspector P.V. Desai received credible information that ganja was being stocked and sold from the pan parlour. Acting on the tip-off, officers documented the information as required under the NDPS Act and formed a raiding team with two independent panch witnesses.

During the search, officers recovered four transparent ziplock packets containing ganja from Vijay Singh’s clothing, while a larger quantity of the contraband was found concealed in a plastic bag inside a rear room of the shop.

A digital weighing scale, empty ziplock packets, two mobile phones, identity documents and electricity bills were also seized. The total weight of the seized narcotic substance was measured at 1 kg and 646 grams.

Preliminary field testing by a forensic science laboratory (FSL) officer confirmed that the seized substance appeared to be marijuana. Samples have been sent to the Directorate of Forensic Science (DFS), Gandhinagar, for further analysis as per the prescribed procedure.

During questioning, Vijaysinh allegedly disclosed that the contraband had been sourced from Surendrasinh Deora, a resident of Rajasthan, who is currently absconding. Police said Khalas was assisting in the storage and retail distribution of the drug.

A case has been registered under Sections of the NDPS Act, and further investigation is on. Efforts are underway to trace the supplier and identify possible links to a wider narcotics network.