Berhampur: Three individuals, including a former samiti member, were arrested on Tuesday in Gajapati district for allegedly transporting ganja illegally. Police seized approximately 200 kg of ganja, a car valued at over Rs 45 lakh, and two mobile phones from the accused.
Details of the Accused
The arrested persons have been identified as Prasanna Kumar Tandi alias Luna Tandi (32) of Raipanka, Milan Majhi (32) of Gerang, and Srikant Mallick (34) of Budhagaon, all under Adava police station limits. While Mallick is a former samiti member, Tandi is a habitual ganja smuggler with at least three NDPS Act cases pending against him in Gajapati, Rayagada, and Kalahandi districts. A non-bailable warrant (NBW) had been pending against Tandi for several years, according to Rakesh Sahoo, Sub-Divisional Police Officer of G Udayagiri.
Operation and Seizure
Acting on a tip-off, a police team from Adava police station conducted intensive checking and patrolling on National Highway 326 near Raipanka. During the operation, a car was intercepted after a brief chase. Following mandatory legal formalities under the NDPS Act, police discovered eight plastic bags containing the contraband, Sahoo said.
Inter-State Drug Syndicate
During the preliminary investigation, the accused reportedly disclosed that they had procured the contraband from local sources and were transporting it to Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand for illegal sale. Several other individuals are believed to be involved in this inter-state drug syndicate. A search is ongoing to nab the remaining members of the syndicate, the officer added.
