Sonepur: A large consignment of ganja concealed inside a specially-crafted secret compartment in a pick-up van, seemingly taking cues from the 2021 superhit Telugu film ‘Pushpa’, was seized on Sunday in Odisha’s Sonepur district.
According to sources, police intercepted the vehicle in Durdura area under Subalaya police limits. Nothing suspicious was found in the van, which was empty, during initial inspection. However, prolonged scrutiny raised doubts about the truck’s unusual structure. Despite questioning the accused, who provided no useful information, police persisted with a thorough examination. They eventually discovered a cleverly concealed chamber built beneath the loading platform. The hidden space was engineered to mimic a normal, empty carrier, making it extremely difficult to detect during standard checks.
Upon cutting open the tin plate covering the carrier section, 187 packets of ganja was recovered from the secret compartment. The contraband, estimated to be worth several lakhs of rupees, had been meticulously packed to mask any odour and avoid raising suspicion.
Police sources said that ganja smuggling networks are increasingly turning to smaller vehicles like pickup trucks, outfitting them with customised hidden compartments to transport large quantities while disguising them as empty or legitimate carriers. This modus operandi allows smugglers to evade routine patrols and checkpoints more effectively.
Sonepur police have registered a case and further investigation is underway to dismantle the wider network of the smuggling racket.
This comes close on the heels of a major earlier crackdown in Koraput district, where police seized hashish oil and ganja worth approximately Rs 225 crore.
