With the Excise officials stepping up the raids and checks on ganja smuggling from the Agency area of Visakhapatnam, the smugglers appear to have devised innovative approaches to hoodwink the excise sleuths.

On Sunday night, the smugglers tried to smuggle about 360 kg. of dry ganja, neatly packed in 12 gunny bags, in an ambulance belonging to Pedabayalu Primary Health Centre.

Based on a tip-off, the Excise officials set up a check post at Muvvasingi village in G Madugula mandal to apprehend the smugglers.

According to Excise Inspector L. Upendra, the driver of the ambulance deceived the officials by slowing down and pretending to stop, and as he passed the Excise vehicles, he sped. The officials led by Mr. Upendra and Inspector P. Srinivasa Rao gave a hot chase covering about 35 km.

“On spotting another Excise team coming from the opposite side, the driver stopped the vehicle and he along with a smuggler fled under the cover of darkness,” said Mr. Upendra.

“We have seized the vehicle and the contraband stuff. The driver has been identified as S. Matsyaraju, a native of Paderu mandal, and the seized ganja is estimated at Rs. 20 lakhs, said Mr. Upendra. A manhunt was launched for the driver and the smuggler accompanying him. Mr. Upendra recalled that the smugglers tried to tranship about 100 kg. of ganja through a parcel service three months ago.