Nagpur: In a significant breakthrough, the Government Railway Police (GRP) in Nagpur have apprehended a ganja smuggler from Koraput, Odisha, after recovering an abandoned bag containing over 8.5 kg of ganja from a coach of the Gondwana Express last month.

According to GRP officials, the incident occurred on April 11 during a routine inspection of train number 12409, Gondwana Express. During the check, GRP personnel discovered an unclaimed blue bag in one of the general coaches. Upon inspection, the bag was found to contain 8.550 kg of ganja, valued at approximately ₹1.28 lakh. A basic mobile phone was also recovered from the same bag.

Following the seizure, GRP registered a case and launched an investigation using the mobile phone’s Call Detail Records (CDR), Subscriber Details Record (SDR), and location tracking. The investigation led the team to Koraput, Odisha, where the accused was traced.

A special GRP team was dispatched to Koraput, resulting in the arrest of the accused, identified as Dawari Krishna Veerprakash Sharma (49). During interrogation, Sharma admitted to smuggling the ganja using the Gondwana Express.

The operation was executed under the supervision of GRP Superintendent of Police Mangesh Shinde, with strategic guidance from Additional SP Dattaram Rathod, SDPO Pandurang Sonawane, and In-charge Officer Gaurav Gawande.

The team involved in the arrest included API Neelam Dongre, Head Constable Pushparaj Mishra, and constables Sanjay Patle, Kishore Ishwar, Azhar Ali, and Roshan Mogre.

GRP officials have now intensified their probe to uncover the broader network behind the inter-state ganja smuggling racket.