Three engineering students were arrested by Central Excise Intelligence officials in connection with ganja (dry cannabis) peddling in the city on Sunday morning.
The officials seized 32 kg of the contraband and a car following a raid at Link Road. The accused were identified as Asish Kumar Digal, Manomalia Digal and Ranjan Kumar Digal. They are the students of a private engineering college in Bhubaneswar.
According to reports, the ganja was being smuggled from Kandhamal to Baleswar. Acting on a tipoff, the excise officials conducted the raid at Link Road and seized the car of the brand Maruti Suzuki in which the accused youths were travelling with the ganja.
“On a directive by Excise Commissioner Bhupendra Singh Poonia and based on the intelligence report by Excise Deputy Commissioner Ramchandra Palta, the raid was conducted. We seized a car and 32 kg of ganja worth over Rs 4 lakh. Three persons were arrested on charge of peddling the ganja. They identified themselves as engineering students,” said Central Excise Intelligence Inspector Jagdish Chandra Samal.
However, he said the students were yet to disclose details about their education and college. The probe was underway, he added.