Visakhapatnam: For the first time, Vizag rural police led by superintendent of police (Visakha Rural) Koya Praveen on Sunday detained two ganja smugglers by invoking Section 3 of Andhra Pradesh Prevention of Dangerous Activities of drug offenders Act-1986, popularly known as PD Act on Sunday.

The ganja smugglers were identified as T. Koteswara Rao, 22, native of Ratnampeta and S. Lova Raju, 34, native of BB Patnam under Rolugunta mandal in the district. The Vizag rural superintendent of police Koya Praveen said that following the instructions of district collector N. Yuvraj, they are invoking the PD Act against the ganja smugglers in the district to deal with the hard core criminals with an iron hand.

Police said that Koteswara Rao is accused in seven cases of ganja smu-ggling and one murder case under Narsipatnam police station limits in Vizag district and the enforcement officials have seized 1,660 kgs
of dry ganja, three cars, a jeep, a van and two motorbikes from him in the seven cases.

Similarly, Lova Raju is also accused in seven cases related to ganja trade and the excise officials have seized 1,087 kgs dry ganja, one car, lorry,two auto-rickshaws and two bikes from him in the cases.
Both Koteswara Rao and Lova Raju were sent to central prison, Vizag. The SP said that they are in the job to identify some more smugglers to detain under the PD Act.