In a crackdown on drug peddling, the Special Task Force (STF) of Odisha police confiscated more than 10 quintals of cannabis worth over Rs one crore from near Tamando Crossing on the NH-16 on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar.
On the basis of intelligence input, a raid was conducted leading to the seizure of the contraband from Hyway truck. The drug peddler identified as Rajesh Singh (28), a native of Bhojpur in Bihar was arrested on Friday night, STF officials said on Saturday.
The cannabis seizure has gone up many folds in the recent years. The STF has made a seizure of over 10,000 kilograms of cannabis in the last two-and-a-half years. The cumulative cost of the seized cannabis was over Rs 100 crore. Besides, STF has also made a seizure of 52 Kilograms of brown sugar valued at Rs 52 crore since 2020.
The cannabis locally called ganja ganja routed through Odisha by organized drug syndicates is much in demand in other States because its price is on the lower side. While one kg of ganja is sold in black market in Odisha at Rs 5000 to Rs 10,000, in Delhi and bigger cities, the contraband’s price shoots up to Rs 20, 000 ore or per kg depending on demand and supply.