6 arrested with 50kg ganja in Ganjam

Berhampur: Sleuths of the intelligence and enforcement bureau of the excise department (Berhampur) arrested six persons at Balisira in Ganjam district on Sunday with 50 kg ganja, which they were allegedly transporting illegally from Kandhamal to Bhubaneswar.The accused were identified as Dushasan Mallick, 19, of Pokharibandh, Jitendra Mallick, 26, of Midiakia, Satyanarayan Mallick, 23, of Barkhama, Samuel Digal, 38, of Sitapadi, Prakash Mallick, 19, of Lelisikia and Ajit Kumar Digal, 35.“Five mobile phones, a car and two bikes were seized from them. The total worth of all items is around Rs 30 lakh,” said Srutikant Rout, DSP, intelligence and enforcement bureau. “While transporting ganja in the car, two other accused were leading the way in two motorcycles,” he added.“We are verifying the involvement of the accused in earlier drug smuggling cases and the involvement of other persons in the incident. Through timely intervention, we foiled the plan of the accused to transport the ganja to other states,” said Rout.On Thursday, six persons were arrested — two from West Bengal, one from Bihar and three from Kandhamal — while they were allegedly transporting 55 kg ganja. Three cards, one two-wheeler, eight mobile phones were also seized from them.

Total worth of the seized materials was around Rs 35lakh.Around 120 police and excise personnel also conducted joint raids in Jama Sahi, Juba Sahi, Sindurapur, Chanchuli and Bengai areas under Jarada police station limits on Saturday, and destroyed several illegal liquor dens. Over 25,000 litres of molasses, a key ingredient in the fermentation process, and 840 litres of adulterated country-made liquor were destroyed during the raids, sources said. Worth of the seized and destroyed liquor was around Rs 15 lakh, said excise officers.