Excise Officials Bust Major Cannabis Smuggling Operation on Bus

Significant Drug Seizure in Boudh District

In a significant operation, excise officials in Boudh district confiscated 8 kilograms of cannabis from a passenger bus and apprehended the conductor and his assistant on Sunday.

The bus, part of the NBL fleet, was traveling from Kumari in the Harabhanga block to Bhubaneswar when authorities received a tip-off regarding the illegal transport of drugs.

Responding promptly, a team from the Excise department stopped the bus near Badala on the Khurda-Bolangir National Highway. A detailed search revealed a concealed compartment containing the ganja.

The authorities seized the illegal substance and arrested Lakshmidhar Jagasethi, the conductor from Bijipur village, and Babuli Mandoi, the helper from Fategarh, both located in Nayagarh district.

Charges have been filed against them under the relevant sections of the NDPS Act, and they have been presented in court. The operation was led by Excise Inspector Rabindranath Pradhan, supported by other personnel from the department.