Rs 1.5 crore ganja haul in Odisha; smugglers flee

Sonepur: Police seized a Scorpio SUV loaded with ganja on National Highway-57 under Puintala police limits in Bolangir Wednesday.According to reports, around 3.6 quintals of ganja were recovered from the vehicle (registration number CG 04 QD 4385). The seized contraband is estimated to be worth around Rs 1.5 crore The vehicle, which was reportedly being smuggled from the Boudh–Sonepur region to Chhattisgarh, was initially chased by Tarbha police. However, the driver managed to evade them and headed towards Bolangir town.Acting on the information, Puintala police chased the vehicle and later found it abandoned near the Girigobardhan Temple bypass along the Sonepur–Bolangir highway. The smugglers fled the spot, leaving behind the ganja-laden vehicle.Police said two persons were inside the vehicle, but they managed to escape. The information was shared by Bolangir SDPO Saroj Kumar Upadhyay at a press conference held at Bolangir Town police station Thursday.