Bhubaneswar: The Special Task Force (STF) seized one tonne of ganja from Banjari village under the Riamal police limits in Deogarh district on Wednesday and arrested four individuals, including the mastermind behind the smuggling operation.
The STF also confiscated three vehicles used in the transportation of the contraband.
The accused have been identified as Ashish Barik from Sambalpur, Subash Sikdar from Bargarh, Ratnakar Sahu from Angul, and Samiti Nayak.
Acting on a tip-off, the STF conducted a raid on Wednesday morning in Banjari village, intercepting the contraband as it was being loaded onto three vehicles for distribution across various locations in the state.
Ashish Barik, the alleged ringleader, was previously arrested in 2021 for attempting to smuggle 1,995 kg of ganja from Rayagada to Kantamal. After being released on bail, Barik reportedly resumed his involvement in the ganja trafficking network.
