Chennai, March 20 In a major operation against drug trafficking, the Greater Chennai Police arrested two individuals and seized 102 kg of ganja, a Honda City car (KA 01 MD 2866), and two mobile phones, police said on Thursday.
The arrests were made following a tip-off from an informant in Andhra Pradesh.
Acting swiftly, the police intercepted the suspects near Maduravoyal
The accused have been identified as Paraman (45) from Madurai district and Daniel Raja (34) from Usilampatti.
Paraman has a long history of criminal activities, including drug trafficking, theft, rioting, assault, and criminal intimidation.
He has been arrested multiple times in Madurai and nearby districts.
Daniel Raja was previously booked under the NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Act in Thirumangalam earlier this year.
Investigations have unearted Paraman's deep involvement in an extensive interstate drug syndicate.
Fluent in Telugu due to his earlier murukku (snack) business in Andhra Pradesh, he allegedly turned to drug trafficking in 2019.
During the 2024 Andhra Pradesh elections, he was arrested in Nellore district with 10 kg of ganja and jailed in Visakhapatnam.
There, he established connections with Andhra Pradesh-based drug suppliers, Nagaraj and Najeem, from Narasipattinam.
After his release in May 2024, he resumed his operations and partnered with Daniel Raja.
The duo procured a Honda City car from Tiruppur and made multiple trips to Narasipattinam to smuggle ganja.
Police said that the pair bought 52 kg of ganja (26 parcels) for Rs 2 lakh and sold it in the hilly terrains of Usilampatti.
According to the Chennai police, the duo purchased 90 kg (45 parcels) for Rs 4 lakh from Najeem for the Pongal season in January 2025.
Their latest purchase was 101 kg (51 parcels) for Rs 8 lakh, but they were intercepted en route to Chennai before completing their sale, police said.
A senior police officer said, "This syndicate exploited the Andhra Pradesh-Tamil Nadu Corridor, using remote hilly areas as storage hubs. Paraman's network expanded through his jail contacts, highlighting the organised nature of the operation."
Authorities are now working to track down upstream suppliers and local distributors involved in the network.
In a parallel effort, the Tamil Nadu Police have intensified their crackdown on the trafficking and use of methamphetamine, a highly addictive drug.
Special operations are underway across the state to curb its spread.
Recent arrests have shown that methamphetamine is being sold in urban and rural areas, with traffickers even targeting school students.
Taking strict action, Director General of Police (DGP) Sankar Jiwal has directed all district police superintendents to personally oversee special squads dedicated to dismantling drug networks.
Authorities are also monitoring gyms and health clubs, where methamphetamine use has reportedly increased among fitness enthusiasts looking to manage muscle pain from intense workouts.
Tamil Nadu has become a critical transit point for international drug syndicates, smuggling methamphetamine and its precursor, pseudoephedrine, to countries such as Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Australia, where demand is high.
In 2024 alone, the Narcotics Control Bureau and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence seized methamphetamine worth nearly Rs 380 crore.
With law enforcement ramping up efforts, authorities are determined to dismantle these drug networks and prevent further proliferation.
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