Balangir: In an unusual smuggling bid, the Tusura Excise Department seized 44 kg of ganja allegedly concealed in milk jars being transported on motorcycles in Odisha’s Balangir district on Saturday, arresting three persons in connection with the case.
The contraband was allegedly being transported in milk jars loaded on motorcycles along the Kukurkhai-Tusura road, in what officials described as a bid to conceal the illegal consignment.
Acting on a tip-off, the Tusura Excise Department laid an ambush near Kukurkhai Chowk under Deogaon police station limits and intercepted two motorcycles carrying the suspected smugglers.
The arrested persons were identified as Mohit Baishnab, Suraj Mahan and Raju Bansal, all residents of the Bilaspur area of neighbouring Chhattisgarh. According to the Excise Department, they were allegedly transporting the ganja from the Deuli area of Boudh district towards Balangir.
The officials seized the ganja along with the two motorcycles and several vehicle number plates belonging to different states. While the initial seizure was reported at around 43 kg, Tusura Excise Inspector Srikant Panigrahi later confirmed that the total quantity of ganja confiscated was 44 kg.
The seizure comes amid concerns over the continued use of routes in and around Tusura for the movement of ganja to other states. The area lies close to the borders of Balangir, Kandhamal and Boudh districts.
According to officials, routes including Gudvela-Jamut and Tusura-Deogaon are allegedly being used to transport ganja towards destinations in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Delhi and Chhattisgarh.
The Excise Department and police have been conducting raids to curb the illegal trade, but the suspected smuggling network continues to pose a challenge in the region. Further investigation is underway to ascertain the source of the seized contraband and identify others allegedly involved in the smuggling network.
