Harabhanga: Excise officials in Boudh district seized 8kg of ganja (cannabis) from a passenger bus and arrested its conductor and helper Sunday.
According to sources, a passenger bus belonging to the NBL fleet was en route from Kumari in Harabhanga block to Bhubaneswar when the Excise department received a tip-off about illegal transportation of cannabis.
Acting swiftly, a team of Excise personnel intercepted the vehicle near Badala on the Khurda-Bolangir National Highway. Upon conducting a thorough inspection, officials discovered a hidden chamber within the bus containing 8 kg of ganja.
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The Excise team immediately seized the contraband and arrested the conductor Lakshmidhar Jagasethi of Bijipur village under Itamati police limits in Nayagarh district, and the helper Babuli Mandoi of Fategarh in the same district.
A case has been registered against the duo under relevant sections of the NDPS Act, and they have been produced in court. The raid was led by Excise Inspector Rabindranath Pradhan, with assistance from other department personnel.
PNN