BERHAMPUR: R Udayagiri police in Gajapati district seized around nine quintal of ganja valued at over `1 crore from a hilly forest area behind Kadamuli village under Purunapani panchayat on Wednedsday night.
Acting on the direction of Gajapati SP Prahlad Sahay Meena, a police team led by R Udayagiri IIC Kalpalata Pradhan was conducting night patrolling and warrant raids in Cheligada, Mahendragada, Sialilati, Kanakata and Purunapani areas. During the operation, police received information that a large quantity of ganja had been concealed in the forest near Kadamuli for smuggling outside Odisha.
Police immediately reached the spot and recovered 30 gunny bags containing ganja. It is suspected that the ganja smugglers fled and went into hiding in the forest after learning about the raid.
A case was registered at R Udayagiri police station in this connection. Efforts are on to identify and arrest those involved in the ganja smuggling racket, said police.