Bhubaneswar: Three personnel of the 5th India Reserve Battalion (IRB) were arrested on Tuesday in Boudh’s Manmunda area for allegedly possessing 15 kg of cannabis.
The accused include one havildar and two constables deployed in Manmunda for anti-Naxal operations and drug trafficking surveillance. The arrested personnel were identified as Kunal Singh, Trilochan Rana and Nilam Barla. They were caught when Manmunda police conducted a raid at the IRB barracks. Havildar Kunal Singh was found in possession of 5 kg, while the two constables, Trilochan Rana and Nilam Barla, were caught with 7 kg and 3 kg of the contraband, respectively.
Superintendent of police (Boudh) Rahul Goel confirmed that investigations are underway to determine the extent of the operation and possible involvement of other personnel in the shocking incident.
“We are conducting a thorough investigation to understand the motive behind the possession and any potential trafficking connections. We are also investigating whether any other police personnel were involved in the incident,” said Goel.
Goel said the IRB platoon located at Manmunda police station is being routed. “The raid was conducted based on reliable information,” said Goel, adding that the three arrested personnel were produced in court on Tuesday.