Excise officials in Angamaly seized 116.37 kg of suspected ganja and arrested four persons allegedly involved in smuggling the contraband into Kerala from Odisha.

The arrested were identified as Balbhadra Dharua, 30, Lakshman Patra, 39, Taraswer Patra, 36, and Pradeep Ghadei, 27. They were nabbed near Karukutty railway station while carrying 58 bundles of the contraband packed in 11 backpacks, said P.K. Satish, Excise Deputy Commissioner, Ernakulam.

The Excise department had received confidential information that a large quantity of ganja would arrive for distribution in Angamaly and other parts of Ernakulam district. The carriers were promised a commission of ₹30,000 each. A probe is under way to trace the supply chain and identify the local carriers, Mr. Satish said.

The call records of the accused are being verified to trace the drug network. Ganja is generally sold at around ₹500 for five grams in Ernakulam district, Excise sources said.