Bhubaneswar: In a major breakthrough, the Excise Department has arrested a notorious ganja dealer, Manoranjan Roul alias Shibuna, near Tankapani Saimandir while he was attempting to escape by ramming his vehicle into an Excise team vehicle.
The accused, a resident of Chhatia in Jajpur district, was trying to flee by threatening the officials with bombs and explosives. During the operation, officials seized a Grand Vitara car carrying 45 kg of ganja and recovered 12 bombs.
Shibuna, who had earlier escaped custody three times, is alleged to have been running a large-scale ganja smuggling network. He used to procure ganja from Boudh and Phulbani and supply it to Kolkata via Balasore.
Excise officials said he lived a lavish lifestyle funded by drug money and even rented cars to transport contraband. Investigations have revealed that the accused was involving minors, youths, and girls to expand his criminal network.
Notably, on March 16, Shibuna had escaped after ramming an Excise Inspector’s vehicle in Baramunda. In December last year, two cars with 50 kg of ganja were seized in a related case.The Excise team will now collaborate with police for a detailed investigation into the entire syndicate. Further probe is underway.
Further investigation is underway to uncover the full extent of the drug racket and identify other members involved.
