Bhubaneswar: The Special Crime Unit (SCU) of Commissionerate Police claimed to have seized 1 quintal ganja after a dramatic chase near Pitapalli Monday night and arrested two peddlers. Two mobile phones and a four-wheeler used in the crime have been seized from the accused, said a senior police official, adding that the street price of the seized contraband is estimated to be around Rs 11 lakh. Twin city Police Commissioner Sanjeeb Panda said the peddlers were identified as Sipun Behera, 31, and Ananta Digal, 32 – both natives of Kandhamal district.
The cops swung into action following a tip-off regarding a four-wheeler carrying a huge consignment of ganja from Phulbani to Jharkhand. The police team laid a trap near Pitapalli area with two vehicles, while another was stationed near Janla. “When the peddlers saw the police team, they tried to speed away to evade arrest but two police vehicles chased the car at a higher speed. The other team was placed near Janla flyover to block the traffic from Khurda side,” Panda said, adding that the vehicle was intercepted near Janla. The cops searched the car and seized the contraband wrapped in a gunny bag from the boot space. Preliminary investigations revealed that the accused are members of an interstate drug syndicate. The SCU has booked the duo under relevant Sections of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and BNS. They were produced in a local court later in the day.