Kandhamal police seized a large quantity of ganja from a truck intercepted near Udepur Chhak on Thursday.
Officers detained the vehicle on suspicion and later discovered the contraband concealed beneath a coal consignment.
Police said the truck, bearing registration number MP 09 HH 4878 from Madhya Pradesh, was carrying coal from Phulbani side. When media representatives questioned the detention, police used a JCB machine to unload the coal and found multiple packets of ganja hidden inside.
Investigators revealed that traffickers had stacked coal on the upper layer of the truck to disguise the illegal cargo. The discovery confirmed that the vehicle was being used to transport ganja in bulk across state borders.
By the time reports emerged, police were still removing the contraband with the help of machinery. Officials said the seizure highlights the growing trend of traffickers using innovative concealment methods to evade detection.
Authorities have launched a probe to trace the source of the ganja and identify the network involved in smuggling.
