Over 974 kg cannabis seized in Odisha, two arrested

Police have seized over 974 kg of cannabis, valued at around Rs 90 lakh, from a vehicle in Odisha's Ganjam district and arrested two persons in connection with the case, an official said on Tuesday.

Acting on a tip-off, a police team conducted patrolling and checking of the vehicles on the National Highway-16 and detained the truck carrying the contraband near Golagandapalli under Rambha police station area, Ganjam Superintendent of Police Brijesh Ray said.

Two persons, including the driver of the truck, were arrested on Monday under relevant provisions of the NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Act, for illegally transporting the cannabis, he said adding that the contraband was being transported from Lankagada in Koraput district towards Bhubaneswar.

Overall 37 bags of cannabis were seized, Chhatrapur sub divisional police officer Utkal Keshari Das said.

According to another police official, this was one of the major seizures of cannabis in the region this year.

Rambha police station's inspector-in-charge Krushna Chandra Sethi said the contraband was covered with the bags of ragi and corn to deceive officials.

In February and March this year, police had seized over 1400 kg of cannabis in two different search operations.