Ganja seized from Unit 4 Market in Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar (By Abhishek Mohanty): In a major crackdown on narcotics, the Commissionerate Police have seized a substantial quantity of ganja (cannabis) from the Unit 4 Market in Bhubaneswar on Friday. 

The Special Crime Unit and Special Task Force conducted the raid on a shop selling grocery items on allegations of drug trade. 

The businessman involved has been detained. The detainee, however, claimed that the seized material was not ganja but a form of bidi (traditional hand-rolled cigarette) filler. 

Preliminary testing and packaging evidence indicated that it was processed ganja.

According to police, the shopkeeper had been converting raw cannabis into powder, rolling it into cigarette-like forms, and distributing the same to a regular clientele.

Another raid was also conducted near Science Park in Unit 9 due to similar allegations of drug dealing.

In recent weeks, similar raids were conducted across Bhubaneswar and Cuttack with an aim to eradicate the drug peddling networks in urban markets.