In a crackdown against illegal narcotics trade, the Gajapati police on Monday seized around 21 quintals of ganja worth over Rs 1.5 crore in R Udayagiri and arrested as many as 26 persons including seven women in this connection.
Acting on a tipoff, a police team led by Gajapati SP raided different places in R Udayagiri and intercepted as many as four pick up vans carrying the contraband. During the searches, The squad detected around 21 quintal in the vehicles. “As many as 26 peddlers including seven women and the drivers of the vehicles have been arrested during the raid. All the vehicles used in the transport of the smuggled goods have also been confiscated,” said R Udayagiri SDPO Dilip Nayak.
A case has been registered under sections 20 (b) (ii) (C)/29 NDPS Act, 1985. The arrested persons have be forwarded to court, the police said.Sources said the arrested drivers are the residents of Padmapur from Rayagada village while others are from Punjab and Haryana.
The accused from outside Odisha were trafficking the consignments to their respective States after procuring the contraband from different places in R Udayagiri.
Further investigation into the incident was underway to unearth more information about the rackets.