In a significant development in the fight against interstate drug trafficking, the Rajasthan Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) has apprehended a wanted smuggler who had been on the run for seven years under a false identity in Kerala. The arrested individual, Ranjeet Dayma, also known as Ranjeet Banjara, hails from Madhya Pradesh and was captured as part of Operation Yamlakamali. This operation stemmed from intelligence provided by Ramesh Banjara, another alleged trafficker apprehended earlier by the ANTF under Operation Madavikadhat.
ANTF Inspector General Vikas Kumar revealed that Ranjeet, a close associate of Ramesh Banjara, played a pivotal role in the drug network’s distribution chain. He managed to evade authorities by blending into Kerala’s local communities, mastering languages like Kannada, Telugu, and Malayalam. Ranjeet’s fluency in Malayalam in the Shoranur area helped him maintain a low profile despite being a wanted individual in Rajasthan.
Police investigations unveiled Ranjeet’s involvement in transporting and distributing contraband, earning commissions for his services. While absconding, he ran a blanket shop in Kerala, using it as a front to conceal his true identity. ANTF personnel, disguised as artisans, tracked him down in the Nelliampathi region and apprehended him after posing as potential buyers. Ranjeet has confessed to his role in trafficking poppy husk across multiple states and is currently under interrogation in Rajasthan for further leads on the drug network.
