Couple sell ganja outside schools, held with 2 others

NOIDA: A woman-run marijuana packing factory was busted and three of her accomplices were also arrested in Sector 18 on Monday morning. The arrested persons also used to sell marijuana outside schools, colleges and other public places.
Police said Hema and her husband Sanjay, a resident of Tikamgarh in Madhya Pradesh, were the kingpin of the gang. They also have a 11-month-old son who has also been sent to jail along with Hema.The other arrested accomplices have been identified as Papu Shah, a resident of Sector 9 in Noida and Sajid alias Shahid from Dankaur in Greater Noida.
Police said the gang was given “protection” by a senior journalist in Noida, who is currently absconding.
Police have also recovered 27 kg of weed worth Rs 5 lakh, Rs 35,750 in cash, 70 packets of smack weighing one gram each, an electronic weighing machine, 10 kg of packing polythene, a sealing machine and polythene warming machine, and a Tata Zest car from the possession of the arrested persons.
Hema was operating the illegal business from her residence in J J Colony in Sector 18 for past ten years. The gang members smuggled the weed from Ghaziabad and Bihar.
Ashok Kumar, SP (crime), Noida said Hema was also jailed in a gambling case a year ago but she was later released on bail. She had been operating her marijuana business parallel to gambling business. “The drugs were being sold to the locals in nearby areas. The marijuana was sealed in two different packets - 5 grams for Rs 200 and 2.5 grams for Rs 100 - and then distributed,” said the SP.
“The gang was protected by Lalit Mohan, who claims to be a senior journalist in Noida and is a resident of Sector 27. He is absconding currently. He charged some amount from Hema on monthly basis and guided the gang whenever police wanted to arrest them. He and Hema knew each other since a long time,” said Manoj Pant, SHO of Sector 20 police station.