Odisha STF nabs inter-state drug peddler from UP

Bhubaneswar: An inter-state drug peddler wanted in a ganja seizure case in Odisha was arrested from Uttar Pradesh, Odisha STF informed today.

The accused has been identified as Shivnath Singh of Agwar Khas village in Agra, Uttar Pradesh.

A team of STF and Koraput police with help of Uttar Pradesh police conducted a raid at Agwar Khas village under Etmadpur police limits in Agra on April 21 and arrested the inter-state drug trafficker in a case registered with the Machhakund police under sections 20(b)(ii)(c)/25/29 of NDPS Act,1985.

According to reports, Machhakund police on August 7, 2021, had seized ganja weighing around 810 kg, one Eicher van and other incriminating materials from possession of two accused persons belonging to Uttar Pradesh.

During interrogation, both accused persons confessed to their crime revealing that they were transporting the contraband at insistence of the vehicle owner Shivnath Singh, who was one of the masterminds in the case.

Based on information from arrested accused duo, a team of Odisha STF visited Uttar Pradesh and with help of the state police they managed to apprehend the absconder.

Soon after his arrest, the accused person was produced before the Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Agra, for transit remand. The court granted the police to take him on five-day transit remand to produce before the trying court i.e. Additional District & Sessions Judge-cum-Special Judge, Koraput.