Kataka: A joint team of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP) seized nearly 116 kg of ganja from Puri-LTT Express at Cuttack railway station and arrested five people.
The seized contraband, weighing 115.93 kg, was found in seven trolley bags and a backpack during a joint checking operation at the station. Police estimated its market value at about Rs 57.96 lakh.
The operation followed information received by the RPF and GRP about suspected transportation of ganja on the Puri-LTT Express (22866), which runs from Puri to Mumbai.
The joint team intercepted five suspected persons at Kataka railway station and searched their luggage. The ganja was subsequently recovered from the bags.
The arrested people were identified as Sajid Ali Abdul Sakur Mariyar, Jitendra Ramesh Thakur, Tanveer Yakub Chagule and Ahmed Raza Siddiqui, all from Mumbai, and Abhishek Kumar from Patna, Bihar.
During questioning, the accused allegedly told police that they had travelled to Bhubaneswar, purchased the ganja and were taking it to Mumbai.
A case has been registered at the Kataka GRP police station under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
The railway SP said an investigation is underway to establish other aspects of the alleged ganja transportation network.