RPF and excise department arrested three persons and seized 300kg cannabis in Bhubaneswar. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, April 14: Personnel of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and excise department seized five quintals of bhang (cannabis) today from a train in Bhubaneswar and Jatani.

The joint team also arrested three persons from the Bhubaneswar railway station on the charge of transporting the contraband, which is estimated to be worth Rs 3 lakh.

The seizure coincided with Pana Sankranti celebrations when people drink concoctions made of bel (stone apple), banana and bhang.

According to excise officers, they had received information about a consignment of cannabis being carried on the Bhagalpur-Jaswantpur Express. The RPF got into action immediately and a search was launched soon after the train stopped at the Bhubaneswar railway station.

“As the train halted at platform number IV, we began the search and seized eight sacks of bhang weighing three quintals. We also arrested three persons,” said Laxmikant Behera , excise superintendent.

RPF officers and the excise officers at the Jatani railway station seized five more bags containing the contraband when the train stopped there.

The accused were identified as Bapi Dalei (42) from Fasi area in Ganjam district, Lipu Dwibedi (26) from Dhusuri area in Bhadrak district and Rabi Das (19) from Bhusandpur in Khurda. They were arrested under Section 47 (A) of Bihar- Orissa Excise Act and were sent to court.

The officers also said that the bags containing bhang had been loaded onto the train at Kuil junction in Bihar.

“As its Pana Sankranti today, we guess this cannabis was meant for the Orissa market. It would have been sold in the coastal districts,” said an excise officer.