Bhubaneswar: The special task force (STF) of Commissionerate of Police in association with personnel of Khandagiri police station raided a residential house at Panchasakhanagar under Khandagiri police limits and seized 40 kg of ganja (cannabis) worth approximately Rs 3,00,000.
Two persons have been arrested in this connection. Both of them are from Balasore district with one being a diploma holder of a private engineering college here. They have been identified as Rajiv Kumar Patra (22) of Ramchandrapur and Ujjwal Kumar Pradhan (20) of Oupada locality in Balasore district.
Later, they were produced in a court and were remanded in judicial custody after their bail pleas were rejected by the court.
Khandagiri police had been tipped off about smuggling of cannabis from the residence. Tuesday morning the teams swopped down on the building and nabbed the culprits along with the contraband material. It was stashed in a gunny bag. The cops also seized a Honda Unicorn bike and some cash from the possession of the youths.
Sources said that the youths would bring the marijuana from Balasore to the state capital and sell it here. They were doing so even during the lockdown restrictions. Police said that there are others who are involved in this racket. A manhunt has been launched to nab the other accused.
PNN