80-kg ganja seized in Odisha, six arrested

Excise department officials seized more than 80 kilogram ganja and arrested six persons in this connection from three different places in Odisha's Ganjam district, a senior official said today.

The value of the seized contraband is more than Rs 4.50 lakh, the official said.

All the accused were arrested yesterday while they were transporting the contraband from one place to another, he said.

In the first case, three persons were arrested from Berhampur and 60-kg ganja was seized from their possession, and the car in which they were travelling was also seized, the Inspector of Intelligence and Enforcement (Excise Department) Pradeep Kumar Patnaik said.

In another case, the excise officials arrested one person from Digapahandi bus stand, 25 kilometre from here, Patnaik said.

The man was about to take a bus to Berhampur, Patnaik said, adding that the person was carrying 10-kg ganja worth Rs 50,000.

In the third case, the police arrested two persons at Bhanjanagar and seized 11-kg ganja from them, Patnaik added.

Patrolling would be intensified to crackdown on ganja smuggling in Gajapati and Kandhamal districts also, Patnaik said.