STF busts major ganja smuggling racket in Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: In a significant breakthrough, the Odisha Special Task Force (STF) on Friday has arrested two alleged interstate ganja smugglers while busting an inter-stateganjasmuggling racket operating from Bhubaneswar and recovered around 50 lakh worth of ganja.

As per reports, the accused had brought the ganja into Bhubaneswar by carrying the same in an passenger auto-rickshaw in order to prevent them from falling in the hand of law enforcing agencies.

Following on tip-off by special agency, the team of STF officials intercepted the auto and nabbed two suspected persons while they were bringing ganja into the state Capital.

Interrogation of the suspects in preliminary state, investigators stated that they have been closely monitoring their movements since last one year.

They revealed that the duo have been a part of large-scale interstate ganja smuggling and traded over ganja valuing more than 20 crore of ganja in the last year.

The accused had allegedly smuggled the ganja from Kandhamal district as the police has claimed that the ganja smugglers also had links with the local ganja smugglers.

During the surveillance carried out by the STF after receiving tip-off regarding the same, they nabbed the accused.

The Special Task Force team believes that the suspects may be a part of inter-state drug mafia and their connection to other states has been investigated further.

The two arrested persons are being interrogated and the possibility of more arrests cannot be ruled out.