Malkangiri: Orokel police and Chitrakonda police in Malkangiri district have seized more than 2,160 kg of ganja (cannabis), a truck and a Bolero in two separate cases.
Police additional SP of Excise Department Udhhab Charan Nayak told a press conference at Malkangiri police station that they had seized more than 1,860 kg of ganja, allegedly being smuggled from Dorkonda area of Andhra Pradesh to Nagpur. Two were arrested during this operation.
Sources said Chitrakonda police station inspector in-charge Ram Prasad Nayak was patrolling near Asara Company Chhak. During checking of vehicles, he tried to stop a truck coming from Banaguru area. But it did not stop at the check point. Instead, it sped away.
HUGE CATCH
- More than 1,860 kg of ganja was seized by Chitrakonda police
- Around 300 kg ganja was seized by Orokel police
Police followed the truck and intercepted it. When the two accused tried to escape from that place, police arrested them. They were identified as Golapalli Kumar, 22, and Gouriswar Rai, 50, of Andhra Pradesh.
When the police inspected the truck they found it loaded with 62 packets of ganja weighing more than 1,860 kg in total. Police seized an ATM card, ID, vehicle documents, two mobile phones and Rs 1,500 in cash from the duo.
Police have registered a case at Chitrakonda police station. The value of the seized ganja is more than Rs 2 crore, police said. Nayak said that the accused will be produced before court Wednesday.
In another incident during vehicle check, Orokel police station SI intercepted a Bolero and seized the contraband at Balimela Chhak. They arrested two suspected smugglers while another had fled into the nearby forest.
The accused were identified as Sahadev Bairagi, 27, a resident of Bandhamudi under Chitrakonda police station, and Sukra Hental, 40, a resident of Nakamudi under Chitrakonda police station.
The Bolero was loaded with more than 300 kg of ganja in 12 packets.
Police SI Sangram Kesari Paikrai told a press conference that during the interrogation the two accused had confessed to smuggling ganja to Raipur of Chhattisgarh from Chitrakonda of Malkangiri.