Bhubaneswar, June 26: The Special Taskforce (STF) of the Crime Branch on Friday arrested the alleged kingpin of an inter-state ganja (cannabis) syndicate and his three aides.
Trailing a half-torn Rs 10 note used as a secret identifier in a drug trafficking syndicate, the STF, in a major breakthrough today busted a major interstate racket, arresting kingpin Durbasa Sahu (46), a primary school teacher from Boudh district, and his three associates in Bhubaneswar.
His associates Subudhi Sahu (40), Arun Kumar Rana (34) and Prakash Khatua (35) - all hail from Kantamal in Boudh.
For the context, the STF under its Operation Green Clean drive, seized 190 kilograms of cannabis from a cashew plantation near Athagarh in Cuttack district on June 24. Investigation revealed that the delivery agent had been entrusted with a torn Rs 10 currency note, and the contraband was to be handed over only to a person possessing the matching half of the same currency note. This unusual identification mechanism was specifically devised to prevent the disclosure of the receiver’s identity and avoid detection by law enforcement agencies. The torn 1st half of Rs 10 currency note to be used for secret identification was also seized during the case that was registered on June 24.
Despite this major seizure, the alleged kingpin continued to evade arrest.
Early today morning, acting upon specific intelligence developed by the STF team camping in Boudh, reliable information was received that Durbasa Sahu, along with his close associates, was proceeding towards West Bengal to execute a major cannabis transaction. Immediately, Multiple STF Teams were activated.
One STF team maintained discreet surveillance from Boudh while another STF team moved from Bhubaneswar to strategically intercept the suspects. The STF managed to intercept the suspect vehicle, a Maruti Grand Vitara bearing Registration No OD-33-AT-6201 on the Nayagarh-Khurda National Highway near Pichukuli.
Seven mobile phones, one gold chain and Rs 38,000 in cash also seized from their possession.
Preliminary investigation indicates that Durbasa Sahu was heading an organised interstate cannabis trafficking syndicate operating from Odisha with supply networks extending to several other States. He was also arrested in NDPS cases earlier also.
Meanwhile, the STF has sought seven-day remand of all the accused persons for custodial interrogation.
