Balangir: A new method of smuggling cannabis using courier services was busted by the police in Odisha’s Balangir district with the arrest of seven persons and seizure of a huge quantity of ganja.
Police said the smugglers used the courier network of an e-commerce company to send ganja from western Odisha to the market in New Delhi and NCR region.
The accused had reportedly registered themselves with the e-commerce company in the name of a saree centre. Ganja was allegedly packed into boxes and handed over at the company’s Balangir point, with the consignments being shown as household appliances and other goods.
Acting on intelligence inputs, a police team raided a lodge near the railway station area and arrested seven people, including two alleged masterminds from the M. Rampur belt of Kalahandi district.
Police seized 113 kg of ganja, two cars and nine mobile phones. A case has been registered at Adarsha Police Station and the accused have been produced in court.
According to Balangir SP Abhilash G, the accused adopted a new method in which large quantities of ganja were packed in Mohangiri, brought to Balangir, and then booked through courier as if they were ordinary e-commerce parcels. Delhi-Ghaziabad handlers had earlier trained businessmen from Kalahandi and helped them start the trade.
Police named Chandrakanta Tandi and Bimal Tandi of Singhpur village under M. Rampur as the principal accused. Also arrested were Jagatram Tandi, Pradeep Suna, Ratna Bhoi, Chhabilal Dharua and Tarachand Tandi. Investigators allege the group sourced ganja from Kandhamal, packed it in Mohangiri, moved it to Balangir, and dispatched it to Ghaziabad.
The cover, police said, was an online registration in the name of a “Sambalpuri Saree Centre.” Tags from that front were used to present the parcels like legitimate courier shipments. CCTV footage from the local courier centre allegedly showed similar bookings at least four times in about six months. Police have also questioned the e-commerce company’s Odisha head and searched the Balangir courier facility.
Further investigation is underway to identify receivers in Ghaziabad and any remaining links in the supply chain.