Sundargarh: Sundargarh Town Police on Sunday arrested two men from Punjab and seized a consignment of 146 kg ganja in a major interstate smuggling bust.
The arrested have been identified as Ajay Kumar (32), a driver from Chhaju Majra village under Rajpura Police Station of Punjab and Virendra Pal (38), a resident of Kunal Colony, 33 Feet Road area in Ludhiana district of Punjab.
According to Sundargarh SP AmritPal Kaur, police received a credible tip-off this morning that a truck was transporting ganja from Sambalpur to Rourkela via Ranchi, originating from Punjab. Acting on the information, officials stopped the truck on the Biju Expressway and conducted a thorough inspection.
During the search, police seized 8 sacks of ganja weighing 146.3 kg, along with cashew nuts, the truck, three mobile phones, Rs 6,000 in cash, and several identity cards. The estimated value of the seized ganja is around Rs 30 lakh.
SP AmritPal Kaur said the two men were primarily responsible for transporting the ganja, while others acted as contacts to facilitate its supply for profit. She added that the case involves interstate smuggling, and further investigation is underway to trace the source, destination, financial transactions, and other persons involved.
A special police team has been constituted under the direct supervision of Sundargarh SP to identify and apprehend other members of the smuggling network. Police said the probe will cover the entire chain of supply, including those involved in transporting and receiving the contraband.
