Bhubaneswar: In one of the biggest seizures of opium in Odisha, the STF has confiscated 10.5 kg of opium from two interstate drug traffickers. Sources from the STF of the Odisha Police reported Friday that, based on intelligence input and with the assistance of Rourkela Police, a raid was conducted by a team of STF Thursday at Panposh in Sundargarh district.
During the search operation, the STF team apprehended two suspects identified as Bitu Singh Munda and Rohit Munda, both belonging to Jharkhand. The STF team recovered 10 kg 508 grams of opium and other incriminating materials from their possession. The two drug traffickers were arrested and are being forwarded to the court of the Additional District and Sessions Judge cum Special Judge in Rourkela, as they could not produce any document or authority for the possession of such contraband opium.
During the investigation and interrogation, STF sources mentioned that the accused persons and their associates, who are yet to be arrested, used to deliver contraband opium to the drug peddlers of Sundargarh, Rourkela, and Jharkhand after procuring the same from Rajasthan. This is by far the biggest opium seizure in Odisha, as claimed by the STF of the Odisha Police. It is suspected that the seized opium is illegally diverted from the legal cultivation farms of Madhya Pradesh. The STF will contact the Madhya Pradesh Police and the Central Bureau of Narcotics, Gwalior, in this regard to ascertain the source of procurement.