Two persons, including a juvenile, were apprehended by the Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF) for allegedly transporting 17.909 kg of ganja worth ₹8.95 lakh from Odisha to Gujarat via Secunderabad Railway Station on Friday (May 8).

The arrested persons were identified as Deepak Swain, 24, a labourer residing in Navapura in Surat and originally from Kodala village in Odisha’s Ganjam district, and a 16-year-old boy from Odisha. Another accused, Rajesh Kumar, 25, of Kodala village, is absconding.

According to the police, the accused were allegedly part of an interstate smuggling network transporting ganja from the Phulbani forest area in Odisha to Surat in Gujarat. A case was registered under Sections 8(c) read with 20(b)(ii)(B) of the NDPS Act and Section 78 of the Juvenile Justice Act.

Investigators said Deepak and the juvenile, who are currently residing in Surat with their families, had recently visited their native village in Odisha, where Rajesh Kumar allegedly offered them ₹7,000 for each ganja packet transported to Surat.

Acting on Rajesh Kumar’s instructions, the duo went to the Phulbani forest area early on Wednesday, May 7, where they allegedly collected nine ganja packets in two trolley suitcases.

Deepak was carrying one suitcase containing five packets, while the juvenile was carrying another with four packets. The duo then boarded the Visakha Express and travelled to Secunderabad, from where they planned to continue their journey to Surat.

On reaching Secunderabad, they waited at the general waiting hall after learning that the connecting train to Surat was scheduled later in the night. During a surprise checking operation conducted jointly by the GRP and RPF at about 7.20 a.m. on Friday, police intercepted the duo and seized the contraband.

Police said efforts are on to trace and apprehend the absconding accused.