Rourkela: Officials of the Excise department here arrested Monday a person while he was smuggling ‘ganja’ brought from Kandhamal. It should be stated here that the GRP had Sunday seized at Rajgangpur 33 kilograms of cannabis valued at over Rs 3,00,000. The latest seizure of the contraband and arrest of the accused shows that the ganja trade is flourishing in and around this town. The Excise sleuths had prior information that more than 23 kilograms of ganja valued at over Rs 2,00,000 were being brought into the city.
Acting on the tipoff they arrested the accused Devraj Kanhara. On interrogation, Kanhara confessed that he had procured the banned substance from Kandhamal. He was carrying the cannabis in a bag and going towards the plant locality in an auto-rickshaw when he was apprehended. However, the auto driver managed to escape. Excise official Sridhara Mohanty speaking to the media said, “The department is thoroughly investigating the matter. We are sure that this is not the first time that the accused has brought cannabis to Rourkela. We are aware that Kanhara knows the topography of this city very well.” Mohanty also said more than one person is involved in the illegal ganja trade. “It is not possible for a single person to bring such a huge amount of contraband. We are interrogating Kanhara to find out about the involvement of others,” Mohanty stated. Rourkela continues to be a hotbed of transition or selling point of cannabis. Earlier, on many occasions the police and the Excise department found the contraband being smuggled into this city before being sent to other states.