MALKANGIRI: The Revenue department of the Ministry of Finance has frozen movable and immovable assets of 11 ganja peddlers of Malkangiri district worth over Rs 3.05 crore. In a statement on Tuesday, October 5, 2021, Malkangiri police said the assets acquired from ganja business were blocked under Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators (Forfeiture of Property) Act, 1976 (SAFEMA) and Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (NDPSA) vide financial investigation in connection with a case in MV-79 police station.
The accused ganja peddlers whose assets were frozen are Krishna Ballav, Mrinal Mondal, Bibekananda Halder, Deepak Bala, Rajesh Mondal, Nookalama Aripilli, Kishore Ballav, Khanguda Sukjit Singh, Bikaram Mondal, Rahul Ballav and Sudha Mondal. Five buildings worth around Rs 2.86 crore, 12 bank accounts having a total balance of around Rs 71 lakh and six vehicles worth Rs 18.33 lakh were blocked on Tuesday under SAFEMA and NDPSA by the Kolkata-based competent authority of the Finance Ministry.
On February 1 this year, MV-79 police during regular night patrolling apprehended a tractor carrying 1,406 kg ganja and arrested six persons. During investigation, it was found that one Krishna Ballav of MV-72 used to receive money for trading ganja through different bank accounts of his wife Nookalama Aripilli and son Kishore Ballav. Subsequently, the trio and others were arrested by police. Subsequently, financial investigation was carried out by Chitrakonda SDPO which resulted in identifying and seizing the illegally acquired properties of Krishna Ballav and others.