STF makes biggest opium seizure in Odisha, 2 inter-state drug traffickers arrested

The Special Task Force (STF) of the crime branch claimed to have made the biggest seizure of opium in Odisha. 
As per official sources, opium weighing 10 Kg 508 grams and other incriminating materials have been seized following a raid in Rourkela.

Two inter-state drug traffickers have been arrested in this connection. They have been identified as Bitu Singh and Rohit Munda of Jharkhand. Both the accused were arrested after a raid conducted based on intelligence input with the help of Rourkela Police on Thursday at the Panposh area.

A case against the duo has been registered under section 18(b)/29 of NDPS Act 1985 and they have been produced before the court of Additional. District and Session Judge-cum-Special Judge, Rourkela. 

"During interrogation, it was learnt that the accused persons and his associates (who are yet to be arrested) were to deliver contraband to the drug peddlers of Sundargarh, Rourkela, and Jharkhand after procuring the same from Rajasthan," said STF.

Startling Revelation

India is one of the few countries where legal cultivation of Opium is done for medicinal purposes. Legal cultivation takes place in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.

It is suspected that the seized Opium is illegally diverted from the legal cultivation farms of Madhya Pradesh. 

STF will contact the Madhya Pradesh Police and Central Bureau of Narcotics, Gwalior (licensing and regulating authority for legal Opium cultivation) to ascertain the procurement source.