Roof-top ganja smuggle plan foiled in Odisha

JEYPORE:  Madness of money always has smugglers cook up unique ideas to transport their catch and how! Instances of drugs stuffed in musical instruments, tiny screws, furniture and body parts have all been heard and read about. But peddlers in Koraput thought of a “roof top” plan to disguise ganja that they thought would help them give a slip to the cops. 

Jeypore Sadar police though had other plans.
The police seized around 101 kg ganja which was being smuggled in a compartment made on the roof of a Bolero near Umuri bridge on Friday. The contraband was being transported from Lamtaput to Bihar in the vehicle which did not have registration plates. A special task force led by Jeypore Sadar IIC Aditya Mahakur intercepted the vehicle near Umuri Bridge. 

The team, during search did not find what they were looking for in the vehicle. Sensing something fishy, the team resumed its search and cut open the roof of the vehicle only to find the contraband stored in its compartment in bundles. Two persons from Patna - Surendra Prasad and Badal Kumar were arrested in this connection. Mahakur said, cost of the seized ganja is around ` 10 lakh and efforts are on to nab the others involved in the crime. 

Koraput has become one of the most preferred source for ganja peddlers from across the country. At least 75 ganja smugglers belonging to Haryana, Rajasthan, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi and Haryana have been lodged in Jeypore and Koraput jails in last one year. An equal number of people from other States are wanted by police of Jeypore, Nandapur, Machkund, Borrigumma, Boipariugda and Semiliguda under the NDPS Act.