Railway police in Ballari say passenger trains arriving in Karnataka from other states, particularly West Bengal, are increasingly being used to smuggle ganja into the state. Over the past three months, the RPF has seized 58 kg of ganja at Ballari railway station alone. Notably, every consignment recovered at Ballari came from the 18111 Shalimar–Yeshwanthpur Express travelling from West Bengal to Karnataka.
During inspections, officers also recovered assault weapons, said Siddalingappa, post commander of the Railway Protection Force. He added that the ganja was being distributed at several points along the route, including Guntakal, Ballari, Dharwad, Belagavi, and Bengaluru. In response, the RPF has stepped up vigilance, the officer said. The RPF reported that raids on passenger trains often turn up packed boxes containing ganja.
To evade detection, traffickers frequently unload consignments at Guntakal in Andhra Pradesh and move them by road into Karnataka. Ganja packets are disguised in thin plastic wraps and bags typically used for clothing and other goods, and are sometimes stashed in train toilets. “Ganja packets are hidden under train seats, in bags labelled as food items, and even inside packages bearing government or police department names,” the RPF added.