Odisha native held with 5kg of ganja at Aluva railway station

Kochi: Ernakulam rural police arrested an Odisha native with 5kg of ganja at Aluva railway station on Tuesday.Udhshab Pradhan,26, a native of Kandhamal, Odisha, was arrested in a joint operation by Aluva police and district anti-narcotics special action force following a tip-off. According to police, the ganja was smuggled in from Odisha in a shoulder bag. It was brought here for sale among migrant workers in Perumbavoor and Kalady areas. Officers said that the accused claimed that he was doing painting jobs in Ernakulam. Police have also initiated an investigation to identify those who purchased ganja from him. The investigation team included narcotic cell DSP J Umesh Kumar, Aluva DSP T R Rajesh, inspector G P Manu Raj, and sub inspector K Nandakumar. Meanwhile, city police arrested a 41-year-old man with 1.61g of MDMA near Kaloor stadium on Monday night. The arrested person was Praveen K of Arattukulangara. He was arrested by a team led by ACP T D Sunil Kumar following a confidential information.