Shamirpet Police Seize Over 5,000 Ganja Chocolates Worth Rs 24.5 Lakh, One Arrested

Hyderabad: Shamirpet police on Friday, August 28, seized 5,298 chocolates laced with banned substances worth Rs 24.5 lakh that were allegedly being sold through a pan shop in the Tummakunta area, and arrested one person in connection with the case.
The arrested individual has been identified as Bainath Kumar, a pan shop owner and resident of Shamirpet, originally from Bihar. His wife, Poja Kumari, is reportedly absconding.
The couple operates a pan shop in Tummakunta for their livelihood. A preliminary investigation revealed that, citing insufficient income from the shop, the two allegedly decided to procure chocolates laced with illegal substances from Bihar at a low cost and sell them locally at higher prices.
Kumar allegedly told police that such chocolates were available at Behri Bazar in Dhanauli village, Darbhanga, Bihar. According to his disclosure, his wife travelled to Bihar in June, procured the chocolates, and brought them back to their Tummakunta residence in a light brown-coloured suitcase.
To avoid detection, the couple allegedly stored the chocolates at home and handed them over to customers only when purchases were made. Kumar also told police that a packet of approximately 40 chocolates was procured for around Rs 200. Individual chocolates were allegedly sold for Rs 30 to Rs 50 each, while a full packet was sold for around Rs 600.
Payments were allegedly collected through Google Pay and PhonePe accounts linked to the mobile numbers of both the accused and his wife. In addition to the chocolates, police also seized Rs 1,760 in cash and Kumar's mobile phone.