A vehicle moving in a suspicious manner was chased and intercepted by a Forest squad. The driver of the vehicle tried to escape in a film style. But in the end, he deserted the vehicle in a farm land and fled. The Forest squad found a huge quantity of ganja being smuggled and seized the contraband.
According to sources, on Monday, the Forest officials were returning to Balangir after night patrolling when they found a vehicle was moving suspiciously and asked the driver to stop.
Rather than obliging, the vehicle sped away. Soon the forest officials followed. While passing on Sambalur road, a squad already alerted earlier intercepted the vehicle at Loisingha.
However, seeing the main road blocked, the driver drove the vehicle in another road and finally entered into an agriculture field at Karlipat village in Loisingha block. There he left the vehicle and fled.
"We have intimated the Excise officials here. They would investigate the matter and the exact amount of ganja seized would be known by evening after total assessment," said a forest official here.
Ever since Nitish Kumar joined as Divisional Forest Officer Balangir in July, night patrolling, raid on illegal saw mills and manufacturing wooden furniture etc have become a regular affair for the Forest Department in Bolangir.
A few days ago, the forest officials had seized a tractor loaded with small and tender plants being transported to other areas after cutting from forest.