Ganja goes digital, home delivery Chennai

The Show Time source / Time of India

A few among food-delivery agents have emerged as a cog in the city's preferred #ganja peddling apparatus, with police stumbling upon the well-oiled network by chance. In sync with the times, by-referral-only WhatsApp membership is another ganja delivery avenue that is under the police radar. The delivery agents were the chosen medium because they are neither suspected nor stopped by police. But on Monday, a patrol team found something amiss when two youngsters were seen giving away parcels to a delivery agent instead receiving parcels as is normal. Curious, the policemen questioned the youngsters and a series of contradictory answers tumbled out, after which the two techies – K Pugazh Jermain, 26 and V Arun, 25 of TNHB quarters – were arrested along with the food delivery boy, Lakshmanan, who acted as the courier. Both the youngsters are team leaders at a renowned IT firm on Rajiv Gandhi Salai. A search in their houses led to the seizure of 10.5kg of ganja.

According to the official, such networks are mainly formed through WhatsApp groups where the consumer will have to first join as a member by referral. On joining the group, the member will be initially given a free sample offer and those who refer new customers can get a 5 to 10% commission which works out up to Rs 20,000.