Busting an inter-State ganja smuggling racket, the Special Task Force (STF) of Crime Branch on Tuesday seized cannabis weighing 850 kg stashed in a tanker from Pitaguda under the Nandapur police limits in Koraput district.
The cops also arrested five persons, including three from Uttar Pradesh, in this connection. They are Dharmjit Sharma, Rajnish Sharma and Kanhaiya Singh of UP and two locals Madhusudan Golari and Ugra Pujari.
The contraband was being trafficked to Mathura in Uttar Pradesh. Police seized the tanker and cash of Rs 17,000 from the traffickers’ possession.
“The accused persons have been booked under Sections 20 (b)(ii)(c) of NDPS Act 1985. Further investigation is underway,” an official said.