42 Kg of Ganja Seized in Khordha, Three Arrested ;

Car, electric scooter, mobile phones and cash seized; police probe suspected inter-district drug network.

DILLIP KUMAR PATTNAIK

KHORDHA, OCTOBER 15:- Khordha Model Police have arrested three persons and seized 42 kg of ganja while investigating an alleged inter-district narcotics trafficking network near the ITBP camp at Taratua in Khordha. A Hyundai Venue car, an electric scooter, three mobile phones and ₹15,000 in cash were also seized during the operation.

Khordha Superintendent of Police Parmar Smit Parshottamdas disclosed the details at a press conference at the District Police Office on Wednesday. He said the operation was launched on October 14 following credible intelligence inputs received at around 10.10 am. A special team was formed under the supervision of Basudev Jayasingh, in-charge of Khordha Model Police Station.

The team, led by Sub-Inspector Basanta Kumar Pattanaik, intercepted the suspected persons near the ITBP camp at Taratua at around 12.35 pm and seized the contraband and other articles allegedly used in its transportation and distribution.
The arrested persons have been identified as Kamalakanta Kanhar (27) and Badal Bisoi (25), both residents of the Phulbani area under Sadar police station in Kandhamal district, and Ratiranjan Parida (43) of Chhapada village under Tirtol police station in Jagatsinghpur district.
According to the police, the two accused from Kandhamal were allegedly connected with the sourcing and supply of the ganja, while Parida was suspected of receiving and distributing the consignment at its destination. Investigators are examining the links among the accused to establish the suspected supply chain and identify others involved in the illegal trade.

The seized articles include 42 kg of ganja, a Hyundai Venue bearing registration number OD 02 CG 5066, a VIDA electric scooter bearing registration number OD 33 AU 6857, three mobile phones and ₹15,000 in cash.
Khordha Model Police Station Case No. 614, dated October 14, 2026, has been registered under Sections 20(b)(ii)(C) and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Sub-Inspector Ranjan Mallick is investigating the case, with Sub-Inspector Basanta Kumar Pattanaik named as the informant.
The accused have been forwarded to court, police said. Further investigation is underway to trace financial transactions allegedly linked to the drug trade, identify other suspected associates and establish the backward and forward linkages of the network. Police are also examining whether any properties were acquired using proceeds from the alleged trafficking activities.
The SP said the operation was part of the district police’s ongoing campaign under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan to combat narcotics-related offences. The drive aims to disrupt not only local drug peddling but also the supply, transportation and distribution networks supporting the illegal trade. Police have also been targeting suspected networks allegedly involved in the trafficking of brown sugar, codeine-based cough syrup and ganja.
Appealing for public cooperation, the SP urged people to share information about the cultivation, transportation, sale or consumption of prohibited narcotic substances with their nearest police station. Information may also be provided by calling the emergency helpline 112 or the MANAS National Narcotics Helpline at 1933. The identity of informants will be kept confidential, he said.