Bhubaneswar: The Special Task Force (STF) of Odisha Police has arrested an inter-state ganja smuggler from Bhubaneswar, police said Thursday.
Acting on a tip-off, an STF team nabbed Sarat Kumar Dey alias Kalia, a resident of neighbouring West Bengal, from his hideout in the state capital Wednesday and seized Rs 1.25 lakh in cash and other “incriminating materials” from his possession, a police officer said.
He was wanted in several cases of ganja trafficking in Odisha, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar, he said.
On August 20, police intercepted a vehicle in which Dey and his associate Pramod Kumar Tandi were transporting a large quantity of ganja in Gajapati district but both managed to give the law enforcers a slip.
A total of 4,335 kg of ganja worth Rs 4.30 crore was seized, which was one of the largest seizures in Odisha.
The STF took over the investigation and launched a manhunt for Dey and his associate.
Dey was earlier involved in several cases of narcotics trafficking, robbery and rioting, and had even escaped from police custody.
Interestingly, his father Ekadashi Dey was also a ganja peddler and is currently serving 10 years of rigorous imprisonment in Puri jail, sources said.
PTI
