Bhubaneswar: A couple from Madhya Pradesh was on Sunday apprehended by Odisha police while smuggling ganja (cannabis) in a vehicle with ‘media’ sticker attached to it. Over 20.5 kilograms of ganja was seized from the vehicle.
As per reports, the officials of the Odisha excise department got a tip-off about the ganja trafficking by the couple and followed their car on Sonepur-Binika road. They finally intercepted the vehicle at Kartang Chhak.
On searching the vehicle, the excise officials seized over 20 kg of the contraband and arrested the couple.
The couple was identified as Anil Soni and his wife Rajani Soni, residents of Kotma in Madhya Pradesh.
Speaking to the media, excise superintendent of Sonepur, Sumit Tripathy confirmed that the couple was carrying over 20.5 kg of ganja from Boudh to Madhya Pradesh, and they have been arrested.
On November 3, the Odisha police had arrested a head constable of Karnataka police along with two other persons on charges of smuggling Ganja from Kandhamal district. The arrested individuals were booked under stringent provisions of the Narcotic-Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
However, the Karnataka police had countered the claims of the Odisha police and clarified that the head constable was part of an authorised team which had come to Kandhamal in the hunt of a notorious ganja supplier.
