Authorities have forfeited movable and immovable assets worth about Rs 70.39 lakh in a Warangal ganja trafficking case after a financial investigation examined bank accounts, vehicles and property records linked to the accused, Telangana Today reported on Wednesday.
The action followed the seizure of 147.3 kg of dry ganja, an Innova car, a Swift car and three mobile phones in a case registered earlier at the Warangal Narcotics Police Station under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. The suspects arrested in the case were identified as Nerella Sadaiah alias Sathish, Samala Sheshu, Kilo Somaraju and Munawar Ali.
According to Sandeep Shandilya, Director of EAGLE Force, the financial investigation was conducted to trace assets allegedly acquired from proceeds linked to the trafficking network. Police examined bank accounts, property records and other documents as part of the process.
The investigation resulted in the freezing of Rs 1,59,910 held in three bank accounts belonging to Munawar Ali and his family members, the report said. A tractor and a two-wheeler, together valued at Rs 7.80 lakh, were also seized from Kilo Somaraju and Samala Raju, who is identified as the brother of Samala Sheshu.
Three immovable properties were identified in the inquiry. They comprised agricultural land and two open plots linked to relatives of Sadaiah and Sheshu, with an estimated market value of Rs 61 lakh. The properties were included in the forfeiture action after confirmation by the competent authority in Chennai.
The action was taken under Section 68F of the NDPS Act. The provision forms part of the law’s framework for identifying and forfeiting properties considered linked to illicit drug proceeds. In this case, the reported enforcement process extended beyond the original seizure of narcotics and vehicles to financial accounts, movable assets and land records.
The case highlights the administrative role of financial investigations in narcotics enforcement. Bank records, registration documents and property ownership information can be examined to identify assets allegedly connected to proceeds from illegal activity. It also places revenue and property records alongside police investigation in the process of tracing assets.
EAGLE Force said the identified assets were forfeited on Tuesday after the competent authority in Chennai confirmed the action. The supplied report does not provide further details on the next legal or administrative steps concerning the seized assets.
