Police in Sonbhadra district, Uttar Pradesh, arrested two alleged cannabis smugglers, Bires, 45, and Govind, 25, both from Budaun district.[1] The arrests came during a joint operation by Robertsganj police and the SOG (Special Operations Group) under Operation Shuddhi.[1] Officers were checking vehicles near Gangwar village late on Sunday, in the Robertsganj police station area, when they were alerted to a truck parked near Hinduwari Tiraha.[2] The two jumped from the truck and tried to flee, and were caught beside the road near the bridge railing.[3] Police recovered 220 kg of ganja, or cannabis, from the two men.[2] The cannabis was packed in seven sacks hidden in a secret compartment welded into the front of the cargo area.[3] Police valued the cannabis at about Rs 1.10 crore and the total seizure, including the six-wheeler truck, two mobile phones and Rs 4,000 in cash, at about Rs 1.20 crore.[1]

During questioning, the men told police they were in contact with people in Delhi and worked bringing them cannabis.[3] They said they collected the consignment in the Sundargarh-Kalahandi area of Odisha through a local contact.[3] A case was registered against both at Robertsganj police station under the NDPS Act, India’s main drug law.[1] Investigators were examining the seized phones to identify financiers, handlers and local contacts.[1]

The consignment was being transported from Odisha to Delhi, police said.[2] Superintendent of Police Abhishek Verma said the seizure was a major strike against organised drug trafficking and that further action would target every link in the Odisha-Delhi supply chain.[1]