SAMBALPUR: Bargarh police seized 67 kg ganja in two back-to-back operations and arrested three persons from Ambabhona in the last 24 hours.
During patrolling on Thursday morning, police intercepted a pickup van moving at a high speed. Following a brief chase, the vehicle was stopped near Salepali. On search, police recovered around 45 kg ganja concealed in cow feed packets. Two occupants of the vehicle and another youth escorting them on a motorcycle were arrested.
The accused are Brijlal Khutey (30), Dillip Dibakar (20) and Santosh Chandra (27), all from Chhattisgarh. Police said Brijlal owned the pickup van and the motorcycle. Santosh was driving the van while Dillip was escorting on motorcycle.
Earlier on Wednesday afternoon, police got inputs about a car abandoned near Ambabhona. A team reached the spot and on search, recovered 21.9 kg ganja from the boot of the car.
Bargarh SP Prahalad Sahai Meena said the three accused in Thursday’s case were produced in court. Further investigation is underway to trace the link of the interstate drug trafficking network. The identity of the owner of the vehicle from which the contraband was recovered on Wednesday has been ascertained. Efforts are on to nab him, he added.