Bhubaneswar: The Special Task Force (STF) of the state Crime Branch has forfeited ill-gotten property worth over Rs 73 lakh of a drug trafficker in Odisha, an official in know of the development said, Sunday. Cash and bank deposits to the tune of Rs 73.75 lakh of Shiba Prasad Das alias Shibu, a drug trafficker, of Mundia Sahi under Jatni police limits in Khurda have been forfeited after getting due approval in this regard from the competent authority under the NDPS Act, 1985, the official said. The STF officials seized around three kg of brown sugar from the rented accommodation of Das in Nayagarh district January 25, 2022.
They had also seized three guns, seven magazines, at least 43 rounds of ammunition, and Rs 65.32 lakh in cash from the possession of Das. The agency had registered a case against Das under the NDPS Act and launched a probe into the incident. The STF sleuths had also seized around Rs 6.68 lakh and Rs 1.64 lakh from two bank accounts of Das during the investigation. During the process, the STF approached the Competent Authority and Administrator of NDPS Act, Kolkata, for forfeiture of the cash seized from Das’ rented accommodation and his two bank accounts. The competent authority has approved the forfeiture of the seized property of the accused after hearing both parities January 19, said the official. The Chapter V-A of the NDPS Act, 1985 (Sections A–Z) has provisions for forfeiture of ill-gotten property (illegally acquired property from narcotics business in the last six years).