Bhubaneswar: The Special Task Force (STF) of the Crime Branch of Odisha Police nabbed a drug smuggler and seized 143 kg of ganja and other contraband materials from him at a village in Boudh district on Tuesday.
The accused, identified as Parikhita Behera (30) of Narayanpur in Boudh district, was apprehended following a raid conducted by the STF with the support of Boudh police near Kalakhandi village under PurunaKatak police limits, STF said in a press release.
Behera failed to submit a valid permit for possessing the contraband materials. A case has been registered against Behera under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Drugs (NDPS) Act 1985. According to STF sources, the accused will be presented before the District & Sessions Judge cum Special Judge, Boudh.
The STF has so far seized 74 kg of brown sugar/heroin, 202 grams of cocaine, 117 quintals of marijuana, and 3,630 grams of opium, and arrested 185 drug dealers/peddlers in its special drive that was started in 2020. At least 80 quintals of marijuana were destroyed by STF in the past year.
