Puri: Two drug peddlers were arrested and over 183 kg of ganja along with Rs 64.50 lakh cash seized from their possession during a raid on a house in Odisha’s Puri.
The accused have been identified as Kartikeshwar Samantaray (56) and Debendra Sahoo (55).
Acting on a tip-off regarding stashing of ganja, a police team raided the rented accommodation of Samantaray on Friday at Gopalpur under the jurisdiction of Penthakota marine police station and recovered the contraband. During the searches, police also recovered bundles of cash.
Puri Superintendent of Police Prateek Singh said a counting machine had to be deployed to establish the amount the two had kept in the rented accommodation.
The accused are natives of Puri district but had taken the house on rent to carry out their illegal business. Investigation is underway to uncover the entire supply chain and network of the ganja trade, he said.
Police sources said the accused allegedly procured ganja from Kandhamal and Boudh districts and transported it to Puri. The accused also allegedly planned to supply the contraband to other parts of the state ahead of the upcoming festive season.
