Bhubaneswar: The Special Task Force (STF) of the state Crime Branch on Tuesday arrested three men from Ganjam district for their alleged nexus with ganja traffickers in Rajasthan. The accused persons were Sibaram Biswal (38), Sibaram Patra (33) and Manoranjan Sabat (49).DIG (STF) Kanwar Vishal Singh said, “Our investigation revealed that the trio had been routinely channelling consignments of ganja from Odisha to Rajasthan. They were key facilitators in procurement, concealment and interstate transportation through a well‑organised syndicate.”According to the DIG, the arrests followed a data‑driven probe into an earlier case in which a carrier from Rajasthan was caught in Bhubaneswar on April 18 while transporting ganja from Gajapati district. “The backward linkage investigation, supported by technical evidence, field intelligence and witness examination, pointed to an organised Odisha‑based network run by these three men. They were previously involved in drug trafficking cases,” the DIG said.The STF seized Rs 3.86 lakh in cash from Biswal, along with mobile phones and other incriminating materials. “We suspect the seized cash is linked to the proceeds of crime. Its source and financial trail are being thoroughly examined,” Singh said.The agency plans to seek custodial remand of Biswal and Sabat to unravel the full network. “Our focus is to identify other members of the syndicate, trace the end beneficiaries, and collect further evidence. We have also initiated a financial investigation into the assets of all the accused,” Singh added.
