Rajkot: A postal parcel from Odisha opened a new front in Gujarat’s fight against narcotics. Junagadh police arrested three persons, including a suspended police head constable, after seizing 4.2kg of cannabis, worth Rs 2.1 lakh, sent in a postal parcel from Odisha.The Junagadh special operations group (SOG) arrested three men, including the suspended head constable, in connection with the seizure.Police say the case could expose a larger narcotics network operating through the postal system.The operation began on July 22 when the SOG, acting on a tip-off, mounted surveillance near Bhavnath Post Office. Officers intercepted Raishkhan Pathan (28) and Sohil Sheikh (22), who had allegedly arrived to collect the parcel.Further investigation led to the arrest of suspended police head constable Kiran Rathod.According to preliminary inquiries, the cannabis had allegedly been procured from Odisha and dispatched through the postal network. Investigators alleged that the consignment was arranged by Amit Rathod and Kiran Rathod with the assistance of an associate known as Gopi Dada.Police further alleged that Pathan, Sheikh and Samun Lasari had gone to collect the parcel on the instructions of one Akil Sida when the SOG team carried out the raid.A case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act has been registered against seven accused. Efforts are underway to nab the remaining suspects.Rohit Dagar, assistant superintendent of police (ASP), Junagadh City division, said the three arrested accused were remanded to three days of police custody by a court.Dagar said Kiran Rathod had previously been booked in three criminal cases, including assault and prohibition-related offences. This is the first case against him under the NDPS Act.Police are investigating both the source of the cannabis and its intended destination. Officials said this is the first case in Junagadh in which investigators have detected the alleged use of the postal system for transporting narcotics.
