Odisha Crime Branch’s Special Task Force (STF) busted a major interstate Ganja trafficking network operating from Bhubaneswar, arresting four persons including alleged kingpin of the syndicate, on Friday.
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The operation was carried out following intelligence inputs at a rented house in Pandav Nagar under Badagada police limits, which was allegedly being used as a warehouse for storing and dispatching commercial quantities of Ganja (cannabis).
During the raid, STF officials seized 50.5 kg of ganja packed in 25 packets along with four mobile phones believed to have been used in coordinating the illegal operation.
Police said the contraband was being transported from the warehouse to destinations including Kerala and Bengaluru as part of an organised interstate trafficking network.
According to the STF, the alleged kingpin has been identified as Mohammed Asif of Kerala. Another accused, Subhransu Sekhar Panda alias Bablu, allegedly managed the warehouse and supervised the transportation of ganja to different states.
The remaining two accused, Chandan Digal and Rashmi Ranjan Digal of Kandhamal district, are suspected to have supplied the contraband to the syndicate at the local level.
All four accused have been booked under the provisions of the NDPS Act and produced before a court.
Officials said the investigation is continuing to identify other members of the syndicate and trace its financial network, including possible interstate links and the flow of funds connected to the illegal narcotics trade.
“Last night, based on intelligence, an operation was conducted where a syndicate was busted. We have arrested a total of four people, and their complete roles and profiles have been identified. Two of them are residents of Kandhamal district. Their names are Chandan Digal and Rashmi Ranjan Digal. Their role was to bring ganja from Kandhamal to Bhubaneswar and deliver it by coordinating with the other syndicate members,” STF DIG, Kanwar Vishal Singh, said.
“The third person, who is the kingpin, is named Mohammed Asif, a resident of Kerala. He is the kingpin, mastermind, or main person in charge of this syndicate. He was supplying this ganja in small quantities. Their modus operandi was to transport small quantities of Ganja via different trains, buses, or other means. According to our information, he was taking it to Kerala and Bangalore. He has also been arrested,” the STF DIG stated.
“Another person who has been arrested is Subhransu Panda, a resident of Balasore. He was the second-in-command of this syndicate. He was in charge of their temporary warehouse and coordinated it. He was the main supplier, and according to the information obtained so far, he was supplying to West Bengal and Jharkhand,” the senior cop added.
