The EAGLE Force, in coordination with S R Nagar police, apprehended a 17-year-old juvenile at Nature Cure Hospital railway station on January 5 for allegedly attempting to transport 10 kg of ganja worth around Rs 5 lakh to Mumbai. According to officials, the juvenile was reportedly being exploited by Mumbai-based drug syndicates for interstate drug trafficking. “The use of minors in drug operations is a serious offence and highlights the dangerous methods traffickers employ to evade law enforcement,” the EAGLE Force said.

Investigations revealed that the boy, who works as a tempo cleaner in Mumbai, was lured under the pretext of transporting a tempo and promised Rs 1,500 as remuneration. He was sent to Malkangiri, Odisha, where he met a drug supplier and received five packets of ganja in a travel bag, with instructions to deliver it to another accused in Mumbai.While waiting to board the train, the juvenile was caught by police. A case has been registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. Authorities are now working to trace and arrest the absconding syndicate members.