India News | Odisha STF Arrests Three Key Operatives of Interstate Cannabis Syndicate; Building Pan-India Database to Crack Drug Networks
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. Addressing a press conference in Bhubaneswar, STF DIG Kanwar Vishal Singh said the agency was intensifying its crackdown on organised narcotics networks by mapping interstate supply chains and sharing intelligence with law enforcement agencies across the country.
Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], July 28 (ANI): The Odisha Special Task Force (STF) has arrested three key operatives of an interstate cannabis trafficking syndicate and launched a data-driven exercise to build a consolidated database of drug smugglers operating across states, a senior police officer said on Tuesday.
Addressing a press conference in Bhubaneswar, STF DIG Kanwar Vishal Singh said the agency was intensifying its crackdown on organised narcotics networks by mapping interstate supply chains and sharing intelligence with law enforcement agencies across the country.
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"We have initiated a comprehensive data-mapping exercise across states to track, identify and dismantle interstate drug networks operating in Odisha and neighbouring regions," the DIG said.
The action stems from STF Police Station Case No. 08, registered on April 18 under the NDPS Act. As part of the investigation, the STF had intercepted an Eicher container truck on NH-16 near Pitapali under Jatni Police Station limits and seized 227.4 kg of commercial-grade ganja allegedly being transported from Adava in Odisha's Gajapati district to Rajasthan.
The driver, identified as Paras Nath, a resident of Bhilwara in Rajasthan, was arrested during the operation. According to the STF, subsequent technical analysis and intelligence gathering led investigators to an Odisha-based supply network, resulting in the arrest of three alleged key operatives.
The accused have been identified as Sibaram Biswal (38) of Phasiguda in Ganjam district, Sibaram Patra (33) of Chanameri in Ganjam district, and Kana Mitu alias Manoranjan Sabat (49) of Berhampur in Ganjam district. Police said Sabat is a habitual offender with multiple criminal cases registered against him under the IPC and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Searches conducted at the residence of Sibaram Biswal led to the seizure of Rs 3.86 lakh in cash along with incriminating documents. The STF said it has initiated a financial investigation to trace the proceeds of crime and identify assets allegedly acquired through illegal drug trafficking.
The DIG further said STF teams had recently visited Rajasthan and Gujarat to identify both forward and backward supply chains linked to the syndicate. Information on active smugglers is also being shared with Crime Branch units of other states to create a consolidated database for coordinated action against interstate narcotics networks. (ANI)
(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)