The Government Railway Police (GRP), Secunderabad, and the Railway Protection Force (RPF) jointly arrested a 23-year-old man from Odisha for allegedly transporting more than six kilograms of marijuana to Hyderabad for sale.
The accused, identified as Antaryani Mahananda, a native of Sundergarh district in Odisha, was apprehended during a surprise checking drive at Cherlapalli railway station on Monday. Police seized 6.096 kg of marijuana, estimated to be worth ₹3.04 lakh.
According to the police, Mahananda works as a painter in Rourkela and allegedly decided to smuggle marijuana after learning that it could fetch higher profits in Hyderabad. He is said to have purchased the contraband from an unidentified person in Rayagada forest area at ₹5,000 per kg before packing it into two shoulder bags.
He boarded the Nagavali Express from Kesinga railway station on July 26 and reached Cherlapalli the following morning, where he was waiting for his cousin to pick him up when the GRP and RPF teams intercepted him during the checking drive.
A case has been registered under Sections 8(c) read with 20(b)(ii)(B) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985.
Further investigation is under way.
Published – July 28, 2026 06:54 pm IST
