1,914kg ganja worth around Rs 4cr seized, 5 held in Bargarh

Rourkela: A drug smuggling racket has been busted with seizure of 1,914kg ganja worth around Rs 4 crore and arrest of five people, including a truck driver from Uttar Pradesh, Bargarh police said on Thursday.A case in this connection was registered at Jharbandh police station on May 6 under sections 20(b)(ii)(C) and 29 of the NDPS Act, along with Section 111(2)(b) of BNS.Besides, truck driver Kallu (30), a resident of Hamirpur in Uttar Pradesh, the four other arrested accused — Shankar Naik (28), Bharatram Patel (54), Pritam Naik (56) and Bhojraj Patel (38) — are all residents of different villages in Jharbandh area of Bargarh district.In a press release, Bargarh superintendent of police Prahlad Sahal Meena said the breakthrough came during a patrolling by sub-inspector Bina Tirkey of Paikmal police station in the Jharbandh area on May 5, when she intercepted a truck, bearing a UP registration number, coming from Dava side, around 9pm. During the search of the vehicle, police recovered 67 packets containing a total of 1,914 kg of ganja concealed inside the truck.During interrogation, accused Shankar disclosed that the consignment was being transported from the Patnagarh side towards Raipur at the direction of one Balmiki Naik and Pritam of Putukidunguri village.“The truck was being piloted by a car, bearing a Chhattisgarh registration number, driven by one Narendra Patel, and another with Odisha number, allegedly driven by Balmiki,” said the release.Jharbandh police have seized the truck and both escort vehicles, along with two mobile phones and Rs 730 cash. “Further investigation is underway to trace the backward and forward linkages of the racket, and identify other associates involved in the smuggling network.” said the release.