BERHAMPUR: Gajapati police on Friday arrested a youth leader of the Biju Janata Dal for his alleged involvement in ganja trafficking and promoting illegal cannabis cultivation.
The accused was identified as Mosha Majhi, a resident of Birikot village under Adava police limits. Mosha serves as the district secretary of the BJD and is also a former sarpanch of Birikot panchayat.
Police said a team led by R Udayagiri SDPO Rakesh Kumar Sahoo raided several places and seized over 23 tonnes of ganja in the last around 45 days. Despite the seizures, police could not make any arrest. During investigation, it was found that Mosha was allegedly financing and promoting ganja cultivation activities in R Udayagiri area. He was reportedly encouraging local residents to take up cannabis cultivation and providing financial assistance for ganja trade.
After gathering evidence from various sources regarding Mosha’s alleged involvement in the illegal activities, a police team led by the SDPO raided his house in the presence of a magistrate. A car along with substantial financial and property-related documents including 55 ATM cards, six bank passbooks, five cheque books, as many land records and three sketch maps were recovered from the house.
Police said preliminary investigation suggests the accused was in possession of assets disproportionate to the declared sources of his income, indicating his large-scale involvement in illegal ganja trade and financial transactions. The SDPO said a case was registered under section 27A of the NDPS Act against Mosha. The accused was arrested and produced in court.
Further investigation is underway and more persons suspected to be linked to the illegal network are likely to be arrested soon, Sahoo added.
Incidently, Sahoo was recently appreciated by the Odisha DGP and also selected for DGP Disc for his relentless efforts to check narcotics trade in the region.