2 quintals ganja worth lakhs seized in Khordha, 2 smugglers held

Amid efforts to combat drug smuggling in Odisha, the Excise Department seized two quintals of ganja en route from Boudh to Bhubaneswar on Sunday. As many as two drug peddlers have been arrested in this connection. 

As per reports, the Khordha Excise Department, acting on a tip-off regarding illegal drug movement, thwarted the smuggling attempt near Sunakhala on National Highway-16. The department was informed of ganja being transported from Boudh to Brahmapur and Bhubaneswar and had stationed a team accordingly.

During the operation, individuals in a luxury vehicle abandoned 50 kilograms of ganja behind and fled the scene. Subsequently, the officials intercepted a pickup van and confiscated an additional one and a half quintals of the contraband.

As many as two peddlers have been arrested in connection with the smuggling. They have been identified as Firoz Khan from Bihar and Sushant Mendili from Bharatpur in Boudh district. Both are now facing charges under drug trafficking laws.

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The Excise Department continues to investigate to uncover more individuals involved in the network. 

"After getting a tip-off, we intercepted three vehicles in the morning and seized the contraband. As many as two persons were arrested and a vehicle was seized. As many as three persons are on the run. We could not manage to nab all the peddlers as we had less number of staff during the operation," said Khordha Excise Department Superintendent Sumati Tripathy.