Kolkata: A competent authority under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act has ordered the confiscation of properties worth more than Rs 3 crore owned by two ganja smugglers from Odisha's Ganjam district, police said.

According to authorities, the decision was issued based on the suggestion of the Odisha police Special Task Force (STF) for the seizure of the properties of two brothers, Banmali Pradhan and Arun Kumar Pradhan, of the Buguda region in Ganjam.

On April 29, 2022, the STF recovered 106 kilogrammes of ganja and 517 grammes of opium from the brothers' hands. The police later found, during the financial inquiry, that Arun and Banamali had reportedly obtained assets worth more than Rs 3 crore from the illegal narcotics trade.

"A financial investigation was done, and unlawfully acquired properties worth more than Rs 3 crores purchased by accused persons through illegal contraband Ganja and Opium business were identified and seized. 

According to Section 68 (F) of the NDPS Act, 1985, a detailed proposal for confirmation of seizure/forfeiture of properties derived from illicit narcotics activity was sent to the office of the Competent Authority and Administrator of the NDPS Act, Kolkata "The official notice read.

The assets seized by the authorities included five commercial buildings in Buguda, eight landed properties, deposits in 19 different bank accounts, two automobiles, and gold jewellery weighing 595 kilos.

These properties were purchased with ill-gotten money from drug trafficking within the last six years under the names of the accused as well as their relatives, the officials said.

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