Auto driver held with 6 kg marijuana in Sarkhej, WhatsApp drug delivery network busted

The Special Operations Group (SOG) of Ahmedabad City Police arrested an autorickshaw driver for allegedly ferrying 6.12 kilograms of marijuana in Sarkhej. The operation, which unfolded near Yasrab Residency on the busy 100 Feet Road, also exposed a broader drug delivery mechanism being coordinated through WhatsApp.

The accused, identified as Hamza Sheikh, a resident of Fatewadi, was apprehended around 7 pm by an SOG team acting on prior intelligence. He was found transporting three sealed parcels of ganja concealed in a plastic bag placed near the driver’s seat of his autorickshaw.

According to police, the bust was prompted by a tip-off suggesting a consignment of cannabis was being moved from the Fatewadi canal area towards Amber Tower. Preliminary questioning revealed that Sheikh had been receiving instructions via WhatsApp from an associate named Bhura, believed to be a local resident also involved in the drug trade.

“He not only received delivery directions but also a photo of the contraband via WhatsApp from a number linked to Bhura,” said Inspector P V Desai of the SOG Crime Branch, who led the operation. “It appears the autorickshaw was being routinely used to discreetly supply drugs within the city limits.”

Field testing and on-spot chemical analysis confirmed the substance as marijuana. Besides the narcotics, police seized a Samsung mobile phone used in the operation and ₹300 in cash from the accused. A total of ₹1.15lakh worth of valuables were recovered from the accused

Sheikh has been booked under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. Investigations are underway to trace Bhura and other suspected players in the supply chain.

71.79 gms of marijuana seized in Behrampura, one arrested

In a parallel operation, the Ahmedabad City SOG also arrested a man from Behrampura's slum clearance quarters in Danilimda for alleged possession and sale of marijuana. A total of 71.79 grams of ganja, a mobile phone, ₹650 in cash, and drug-related paraphernalia were recovered from the spot.

The accused, Mohammad Afrib Usmanbhai Ansari, was caught red-handed with the narcotic substance hidden in a plastic bag inside the house. Initial interrogation revealed that the premises was being used for storage and small-scale distribution of ganja by another individual, Imtiyaz Mukhtiyarbhai Sheikh, who had sublet the house to Ansari. According to officials, Ansari was operating the illicit trade on a daily-wage basis and confessed to retail sales for personal financial gain.

While Ansari has been booked under the NDPS Act, the search is ongoing for Imtiyaz Sheikh, who remains absconding. Investigators are now tracing financial transactions, mobile data records, and rental agreements linked to the case.