Nandapur/Koraput: Police seized 22 quintals and 19 kg of cannabis stored for trafficking in a forest near Devatiguda village under Hatibari panchayat of Nandapur police sub-division and Padua police limits in Koraput district, officials said Thursday.
The estimated value of the seized ganja is more than Rs 1.10 crore, Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Debendra Kumar Mallik informed in a presser held at Padua police station. Acting on a tip-off, a Padua police team led by IIC Ashok Kumar Bisoi and SI Surendra Sethi conducted a raid in the Devatiguda forest Wednesday night and recovered the contraband.
The smugglers managed to escape after spotting the police, officials said. During the operation, police found 180 ganja-filled polythene sacks concealed deep inside the dense forest. The seized contraband was brought to the police station and weighed in the presence of a magistrate.
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The total quantity was found to be 2,219 kg. A case (40/2026) has been registered and the investigation has been entrusted to SI Deepak Barik, SDPO Mallik said. He also praised the Padua police team for the successful operation.
Police said efforts are underway to identify and nab those involved in the storage and trafficking of the contraband. The drug haul comes days after police in the Nandapur subdivision seized hashish oil worth about RS 200 crore in a separate operation.