A truck suspected to be carrying a huge quantity of ganja was detained by Kantamal Police in Odisha’s Boudh district on Wednesday.

Questions are now being raised locally over the manner in which the seizure and subsequent investigation are being handled.

Truck Detained Near Udepur

According to reports, Kantamal Police conducted a raid on Thursday afternoon near Udepur on the Kantamal-Ghantapada road after suspecting that ganja was being transported in a truck.

Police later brought the truck to an area near the police station, nearly four kilometres away from the spot where it was intercepted. The vehicle has reportedly remained detained there since Thursday.

It is being suspected that the truck was carrying hundreds of quintals of ganja. However, no official confirmation regarding the exact quantity or seizure was made public at the time of reporting.

Questions Raised Over Search Procedure

Questions have meanwhile emerged regarding the procedure allegedly followed by police after detaining the vehicle.

Locals raised concerns that if ganja was indeed being transported in the truck, then the vehicle should have been searched and the seized contraband weighed at the spot in the presence of a magistrate as per procedure.

However, police neither conducted any public verification nor issued any detailed statement regarding the suspected consignment despite detaining the truck for several hours.

Vehicle Came From Phulbani

According to reports, the truck had reportedly arrived from Phulbani and bears a Madhya Pradesh registration number.

The development led to speculation locally over whether ganja was being transported through the route. Discussions have also intensified over the alleged handling of the case by Kantamal Police.

Also Read: Police nexus with ganja mafia in Odisha’s Bargarh triggers action and suspensions

No official response from Kantamal Police regarding the allegations or the suspected seizure was available at the time of reporting.