Malkangiri Police seized 770 kg of ganja concealed in a secret chamber inside a container truck, marking a major breakthrough in the fight against drug trafficking.
After receiving a tip-off, Chitrakonda SDPO Pradosh Pradhan instructed Orkel Police Station IIC Dhiren Pattnaik and SI Milan Bariha to inspect vehicles near Sorlukonda Barrage. The team promptly stopped a container truck approaching from Kambeda and questioned the driver, who claimed the truck carried jute sacks.
However, officers noticed a faint smell of ganja during the inspection. They searched the vehicle thoroughly and discovered a hidden chamber behind the driver’s seat. Inside, they found 17 sacks packed with ganja. Additional Tehsildar Prashant Bhatra supervised the weighing of the contraband.
Police arrested three individuals on the spot. The driver, Raj Bahadur (55), hails from Ganda village in Chitrakoot district. His helper, James Chauhan (45), comes from Sahab Talab in Banda district. The truck owner, Ritik Gupta (25), resides in Palara village, Banda district. All three are from Uttar Pradesh.
Investigating officer Ajit Singh Bariha confirmed that the accused were transporting ganja from Kamveda to Uttar Pradesh for high profits. He estimated the market value of the seized ganja to be over ₹80 lakh.
Police are currently analyzing the suspects’ mobile phones to uncover more details about the smuggling network and identify the kingpin. Authorities produced the arrested traffickers in court today.
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