Two siblings arrested for drug peddling in Odisha; Ganja, opium, jewelries seized

Bhubaneswar: An STF team of Odisha Crime Branch arrested two siblings on charges of possessing narcotics drugs in Buguda area of Ganjam district.

The accused drug peddlers duo has been identified as Banamali Pradhan and Arun Kumar Pradhan, two brothers.

Acting on a tip-off, a team of STF conducted raid at Raghunathsahi locality under Buguda police limits on the intervening night of April 28/29. During search, the officials recovered ganja weighing about 107 kg and banned contraband opium of 517 gram from possession of the accused persons.

The STF team also seized 607 gram gold and 196 gram silver jewelries, one car (Innova), 29 landed property and other incriminating materials from their possession.

As the accused duo failed to produce any document or authority for possession of such contraband ganja and opium, the STF arrested them under sections 18(c)/20(b)(ii)(C)/25/29 of NDPS Act 1985, Odisha STF stated in a release today.

Odisha STF has launched a special drive against narcotics drugs in the State. Since 2020, the special wing of Crime Branch has seized more than 50 kg brown sugar, heroin, 202 gram cocaine and more than 93 quintal ganja, 705 gram opium with arrest of more than 140 drug peddlers in the State.