India

Marijuana sold as 'kadi patta' through Amazon: Traders' body demands NCB probe

November 16, 2021 12:52 PM

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) must probe reports of Amazon being used as a medium for the sale of marijuana, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) said on Monday.

Praveen Khandelwal, secretary-general of the traders' body, held a press conference demanding an NCB probe into reports about the alleged sale of marijuana through E-commerce giant Amazon in Madhya Pradesh.

MP Police on Sunday arrested two men at a roadside eatery in Bhind district with 20 kg of marijuana. During interrogation, the duo is believed to have told the police that they used Amazon to smuggle marijuana from Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.

"Around one tonne (1,000 kg) of ganja had already been sourced by them in the last four months using the same platform. Monetary transactions worth Rs 1.10 crore had taken place during the last four months, Bhind DSP Manoj Kumar Singh told The New Indian Express.

Singh told another publication that the duo are part of a "drug peddling gang", adding that the police are trying to nab "another four identified and six unidentified accused" in connection with the case.

Investigators suspect that the mastermind behind the racket smuggled marijuana under the guise of curry leaves (kadi patta) to agents in Bhind (MP), Agra (UP), Delhi, Gwalior (MP) and Kota (Rajasthan).

According to one report, the MP Police have summoned local executives of Amazon Inc in connection with the case.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Amazon said that the company is investigating whether there was any non-compliance by the seller in question.

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