Bhubaneswar: The Excise team Saturday arrested two notorious ganja smugglers and seized 45 kg of ganja along with crude bombs near Sai Mandir Chhak on Tankapani Road here, officials said.
The accused have been identified as Manoranjan Roul (24) and Amarjit Patra. An official said Roul is a habitual offender and was absconding in an NDPS case registered December 17, 2025, in which 50 kg of ganja and two cars were seized.
March 17, while attempting to smuggle the contraband, the excise team waiting to nab Roul failed to arrest him as he created panic on a national highway by ramming his car into other vehicles while fleeing. Similarly, March 26, Roul again managed to escape the excise trap by hitting offi cials and damaging an offi cial vehicle during a chase near Medical Square in Khurda.
Following sustained surveillance, the excise team received fresh inputs March 28 about Roul’s movement, indicating he was likely to pass through Tankapani Road. Acting swiftly, the team intercepted the car and apprehended Roul along with another accused. “Roul is a notorious smuggler and has repeatedly managed to evade arrest.
However, we apprehended him Saturday along with his aide, and both have been forwarded to court,” said Bhubaneswar Excise DSP Raj Sekhar Swain. The Excise department has initiated a further probe to ascertain the supply chain of the narcotics racket.
