About 301kg ganja worth more than Rs 3 crore in the international market was seized in the district on Tuesday. Four persons, including two
Uttar Pradesh residents and a Haryana native, were arrested in this connection.
"We were tipped off about the consignment. Accordingly, a truck was intercepted on the Jeypore Ghat Road. To give us the slip, the contraband was being transported to UP in a coconut-laden vehicle," said
Aditya Mahakur, officer-in-charge of the Jeypore sadar police limits.
Mahakur said the truck was brought to the police station premises and a search was conducted in the presence of a magistrate. "The accused had procured the ganja from Machkund. The involvement of more local residents in the crime can't be ruled out. Efforts are on to catch them," he added. The accused were identified by the police as
Saraf Raj (30) and
Mohit Kumar (42), both from
Meerut in UP,
Shakeel Khan (45) of Panchkul, Haryana, and
Shadu Khilo (40) of Sankai village under the Machkund police limits in the district.
The truck, four mobile phones and Rs 25,000 in cash were seized from them. TNN