Major Drug Bust: Five Arrested in Sonepur with Over 4 Quintals of Ganja

Sonepur Police Make Significant Drug Arrests

On Tuesday, authorities in Sonepur apprehended five individuals and confiscated more than 4.31 quintals of ganja that was cleverly hidden within a 24-ton shipment of cashew shells being transported from Boudh district to Bihar.

The illegal substance, sourced from the forested areas of Kandhamal and Boudh, was concealed to evade detection by law enforcement.

According to police reports, the smugglers initially loaded the cashew shells in Berhampur and subsequently packed the ganja into the shipment in Boudh.

Sonepur Superintendent of Police, Narayan Nayak, stated that the operation was initiated following a tip-off regarding the truck being accompanied by traffickers in a separate vehicle.

A police team, led by IIC Lingaraj Sethi and SI Debashis Sahu, successfully intercepted the truck (BR 06 GD 3222) in the Ulunda police jurisdiction. Upon inspection, officers discovered 13 large sacks containing the ganja, totaling 4.31 quintals, hidden beneath the cashew shells.

The arrested individuals include truck driver Rajkumar Ray, 34, from Mehesi, Bihar; helper Bikash Kumar, 19, from Madhpurhaja, Muzaffarpur, Bihar; and alleged traffickers Shankarshan Barik, 44, from Rundimahul in Kantamal, Boudh; Jagadish Bag, 30, from Nandapara in Sambalpur Town; and Parasara Thati, 22, from Dungiapadar, Boudh.

In addition to the truck, police seized the vehicle used by the traffickers and the illegal drugs. All five suspects were presented in court on Tuesday for remand.

During a press conference, SP Nayak revealed that Shankarshan Barik has a previous record of ganja smuggling at the Bolangir Town police station.