Ganja smuggling bid foiled in Jajpur, contrabands worth Rs 16 lakh sezied

In a major crackdown on drug trafficking, the Excise Department seized about 1 quintal and 60 kilograms of cannabis from a pickup vehicle in Jajpur district of Odisha, while the contraband was being smuggled from Boudh to West Bengal. The operation was carried out on the Kuakhia–Panikoili road, where excise officials intercepted the vehicle following specific inputs.

 According to officials, the smugglers attempted to transport the cannabis by disguising it as water bottle consignments to evade detection. However, the alert excise team stopped the pickup vehicle for inspection and recovered the huge quantity of contraband concealed inside.

 Two people involved in the smuggling operation were arrested on the spot. The seized cannabis is estimated to be worth around Rs 16 lakh in the illegal market. The pickup vehicle used for transportation has also been seized.

 “We received specific inputs about ganja smuggling in Jajpur and acted swiftly. The vehicle was intercepted, and around 1.5 quintals of ganja worth approximately Rs 16 lakh were seized. The vehicle that was heading towards Balasore was stopped midway, thereby averting the smuggling attempt,” said Excise Inspector Narayan Behera.

 Further investigation is underway to identify other members of the racket and trace the source and destination of the contraband.