The Orkel Police on Monday seized 770 kilograms of ganja and arrested three men allegedly transporting the contraband from Odisha to Uttar Pradesh in a container truck.
According to Chitrakonda SDPO Pradosh Pradhan, police received intelligence about a container truck moving along the Tamsa Main Canal Road toward Sorulukonda Barrage. A team led by Orkel IIC Dhiren Pattnaik intercepted the truck approaching from the Kambeda side.
The truck driver initially claimed to be carrying ordinary goods. Upon inspection, officers discovered a secret chamber behind the driver’s cabin, containing 17 sacks with 770 kg of ganja, valued at over Rs80 lakh, in the presence of Additional Tehsildar Prashant Bhatra.
The arrested individuals are Raj Bahadur (55) of Chitrakoot, Jemesh Chauhan (45), and Ritik Gupta (25) of Banda district, UP. Police stated that the contraband was being transported from Kambeda in Malkangiri to Uttar Pradesh.
The accused were produced in court on Tuesday, and investigations are ongoing to trace the larger smuggling network, including financiers and masterminds behind the operation.
