Bhubaneswar, November 3: In a major crackdown on interstate drug trafficking, the Mumbai unit of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) successfully apprehended Nilu Pradhan, a well-known ganja smuggler from Bhubaneswar of Odisha, on Saturday night.
Nilu Pradhan, who had long evaded authorities, was arrested following a late-night raid coordinated with the Digapahandi police in Ganjam district.
The accused, originating from Digapahandi village in Ganjam, is believed to be at the center of a vast smuggling network, transporting huge quantities of ganja from Odisha to metropolitan hubs like Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
Acting on an intelligence tip-off, NCB officials, supported by local police, conducted the raid in several places and detained Pradhan without incident.
Confirming the arrest, Ranjit Kumar Prusty, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) for Ganjam, stated, "Nilu Pradhan's arrest is a result of the close cooperation between NCB units in Mumbai and Bhubaneswar, with support from our local police."
Though Nilu Pradhan had no pending warrants in the Ganam jurisdiction, his suspected role in interstate smuggling activities had made him a high-priority target for the NCB.
Following his capture, Pradhan was placed under a transit remand, allowing authorities to further probe the extent of his network and potential associates.
