Bhubaneswar: In a major crackdown on interstate narcotics trafficking, the Special Task Force (STF) of the Odisha Crime Branch on Friday busted an interstate cannabis smuggling racket and seized 497 kg of ganja (cannabis) worth around Rs 2.5 crore. One person was detained in connection with the seizure.
The detained person has been identified as Raju, the driver-cum-owner of the seized vehicle. He is a resident of Chaman Nagaria village under Kher Police Station in Aligarh district of Uttar Pradesh.
Acting on intelligence inputs, an STF team intercepted a goods carrier truck bearing registration number UP81ET0981 near Pitapalli under Infocity Police Station limits in Bhubaneswar. During a search conducted under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, the team recovered a huge quantity of ganja concealed beneath bags of rice.
According to the STF, the smugglers had adopted a new modus operandi by hiding cannabis under rice bags to evade detection during transportation. The contraband was allegedly being transported from Odisha to Delhi.
During the operation, the STF seized 497 kg of ganja classified as commercial quantity, one Tata Motors goods carrier truck bearing registration number UP81ET0981, and mobile phones along with other incriminating materials.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the cannabis was procured from Gajapati district of Odisha and loaded at Brahmapur before being transported towards Delhi. The STF has launched a detailed investigation to identify the suppliers, transporters, financiers, and other persons involved in the interstate drug trafficking network.
A case has been registered under relevant sections of the NDPS Act, and further investigation is underway.
The STF is now working to establish the backward and forward linkages of the smuggling network. Further investigation is being carried out to trace the financial transactions, identify other members of the syndicate, and dismantle the entire illegal supply chain.
The detained person will be produced before the jurisdictional court after completion of legal formalities. The STF may seek police remand, if required, for further interrogation and to uncover the larger conspiracy behind the interstate cannabis trafficking operation.
The latest action is part of the Odisha STF’s continuous drive against illegal narcotics trade and its mission towards building a “Nasha Mukt Odisha.”
