Paralakhemundi: Police in Odisha’s Gajapati district have seized 2,010 kg of ganja valued at over Rs 2 crore, buried deep in remote forest land by smugglers.
According to sources, a police team led by SDPO of R Udayagiri Rakesh Kumar Sahu conducted raids at a forest near Bhimanpur village under Kirama panchayat in Nuagad block, acting on a tip-off. Subsequent searches led to recovery of huge quantities of the contraband stored in trunks, boxes and bags.
The smugglers had constructed mud thatched structures in the forest, with the sole purpose of storing ganja under the soil to prevent detection. Police had to dig around four to five feet underground across the mud houses to retrieve the contraband.
“Criminals are adopting innovative ways to hide and transport ganja following frequent raids. A case has been registered and efforts are underway to identify and apprehend the accused. The culprits will face stringent punishment under law,” the SDPO told the media.
This is the third major seizure in the district during anti-narcotics operations in recent times.
On April 6, Gajapati police seized 2,811 kg of ganja, with an estimated value of Rs 3 crore, from a hilltop near Karigiju village under Adava police limits.
On April 1, 1830 kg of ganja worth around Rs 2 crore was seized from Buripadara village under R Udayagiri police station limits.
On March 25, 4,060 kg of ganja valued at around Rs 4 crore was seized from Keshariguda under Adava police limits.
On March 20, they seized around 700 kg of ganja from Rajapur village.
