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ATHAGARH, 26/06 (Rupashree Swetapadma Mohanty): A special police team from Bhubaneswar stopped a major smuggling network on Wednesday afternoon. The Special Task Force (STF) seized 190 kilograms of illegal substances from a cashew forest in Athagarh. The banned goods have an estimated value of nearly one crore rupees. Officers arrested one man at the scene and uncovered a very unusual delivery method. 
Busted: How a Torn ₹10 Note Exposed a ₹1 Crore Smuggling Ring in Athagarh

The Secret Delivery Token

The smugglers used a clever trick to hide their deals. They used a torn ten-rupee currency note as a secret password. The main boss of the group tore the note into two pieces. He gave one half of the note to his delivery agent. He sent the second half of the note to the buyer.
When the buyer came to collect the goods, he had to show his half of the torn note. The delivery agent matched the two pieces together. He only handed over the illegal items if the two torn pieces formed a complete ten-rupee note. Police officers found and seized this torn note during the raid.

A Long Investigation

This successful raid was the result of hard work. Police officers watched the group for many months. Sub-Inspector Arun Kumar Mallik tracked the criminals closely. He gathered important details and reported them to his senior officer, Special DIG K B Singh. The senior officer quickly gave orders to act.
Two inspectors, Amit Kumar Biswal and Parshuram Sahu, led a ten-member team into the forest. They raided the area along the local road and surprised the smugglers.

Transport and Hiding Spots

The criminals tried very hard to hide their daily activities. They brought the banned items from distant districts. They did not use large trucks. Instead, they used small vehicles like auto-rickshaws and motorcycles. They moved the goods in small packets to avoid attention from the local police.
Finally, they packed everything into large sacks. They hid these sacks deep inside the cashew forest. They placed them under bamboo bushes at the bottom of a hill. The group even hired guards to watch the hidden sacks day and night.

Arrests and Future Actions

During the forest raid, the police team arrested a 48-year-old man named Nilambar Kuanr. He worked as the delivery agent for the group. The police locked him inside the local police station on Wednesday. The very next day, officers took him to the court. The judge sent him directly to prison.
However, the main leader of the group ran away before the police arrived. He is currently hiding from the law. The special police team is still searching for him. They are also actively investigating other people connected to this large supply network.