Odisha: NDPS body nod to seize 3 crore worth assets of ganja traders in Malkangiri

BHUBANESWAR: A competent authority under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act on Tuesday ordered seizure of properties worth over Rs 3 crore owned by some ganja smugglers in Malkangiri district.
The competent authority, whose office is located in Kolkata, is a quasi-judicial authority under the NDPS Act to pass order for forfeiture of such illegally acquired property.
The MV-79 police station in Malkangiri had seized around 1406 kg ganja that was being illegally smuggled in a tractor on February 1 this year.
The police had arrested six persons the same day and nabbed five others later for their alleged involvement in ganja trading.
The accused included a couple and their son besides a dismissed home guard. While nine of the accused were from Malkangiri, two belonged to neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. Under chapter V-A of the NDPS Act (Section A-Z) there is a provision of seizure and forfeiture of ill-gotten property of the accused involved in NDPS cases.
During financial investigation into such drug smuggling cases, the police seized movable and immovable assets which were illegally acquired by the accused from the profits of the ganja business.
The police recently sent a proposal to the competent authority in Kolkata to issue a formal order or confirmation about seizure/forfeiture of the properties. After hearing from the police and the accused (whose properties were seized), J M Kennedy, the competent authority-cum-administrator found that the accused had amassed the properties by means of ganja business.
The competent authority’s order, a copy of which is with the TOI, said the accused earned more money, purchased vehicles and one of them opened a grocery shop from the profits of ganja trade.
“Our compliments to Malkangiri police for obtaining order of Competent Authority Kolkata confirming freezing property belonging to drug traffickers worth approx 3.05 crores in a NDPS/drug case of MV 79 PS. One more victory against drug trafficking,” DGP Abhay tweeted.
The competent authority had earlier issued orders to seize the properties worth Rs 1.65 crore and Rs 4.77 crore in two separate NDPS cases registered by the special task force (STF) of state Crime Branch in 2019.