Bhubaneswar: In a major breakthrough, police in Gajapati district have seized approximately 20 quintals of cannabis valued at over Rs 2 crore after it was found buried deep underground in a remote forest area.
Acting on specific intelligence, a police team led by Rakesh Sahu, SDPO of R. Udaygiri, conducted a raid near Bhimanpur village under R. Udaygiri police station limits on Tuesday. During the operation, officers discovered that drug traffickers had dug multiple pits in the forest floor and carefully concealed large quantities of cannabis inside trunks and drums. The contraband was buried several feet underground in a deliberate attempt to evade detection. After thorough searching and digging at the suspected locations, the team successfully recovered the huge stash of cannabis. The seized cannabis is estimated to be worth more than ₹2 crore in the illegal market.
Further investigation is underway to identify and arrest the persons involved in the smuggling racket.
