Bhubaneswar: A gang from Odisha was apprehended in Hyderabad with 91 kg of marijuana, valued at approximately Rs 22.75 lakh, as part of an inter-state drug trafficking operation using trains as the primary smuggling route.
The four suspects were arrested by the Elite Action Group for Drug Law Enforcement (EAGLE) and Railway Police after a tip-off. They were allegedly transporting the drugs from Odisha to Pune in Maharashtra, concealed in trolleys and backpacks in AC train coaches.
The accused have been identified as Prakash Chandra Pradhan, Basanta Badatya, Ghansyam Badatya, and Chitrasena Jani, all residents of Ganjam district. Four mobile phones and other incriminating items were confiscated from them alongside the drugs. They reportedly procured marijuana from a supplier named Prashanth in Odisha and over 20 trips in the past year, each earning rs 10,000 per delivery, The Hindu reported