Berhampur, Mar 5: In a major crackdown on ganja smuggling, the Excise Department officials arrested seven persons for allegedly smuggling 160 kilograms of contraband from Odisha’s Gajapati to Mumbai.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Ajaya Jagan Berad (25), Amol Muralidhar Rahinj (26), and Vishal Bhausaheb Rahinj (32), all hailing from Ahmednagar, Maharashtra. The others include Sajan Nayak (30) from Ludra, Narayan Chandra Nayak (35) from Dengasargi, Pitara Nayak (28) from Ludru, and Tarun Nayak (21) from Liligada.
The cops also seized three cars including one with a Maharashtra number plate, and ten mobile phones from the possession of the arrestees, who were presented before the court following their arrest.
Acting on a tip-off, departmental officials conducted a raid near Singhal, close to Brahmapur, while a consignment of ganja was being smuggled from Gajapati to Mumbai in car.
Few of the arrestees from Mumbai were waiting to receive the consignment when two cars carrying ganja arrived from Gajapati. The officials swiftly moved in and caught the smugglers red-handed during the transfer of contraband between the vehicles.
Further investigation into the matter was underway.
