Raipur

In a major breakthrough under ‘Operation Aghaat’, Raigarh Police dismantled an interstate drug trafficking network and seized 300 kg of ganja being transported from Odisha to Madhya Pradesh. Three alleged smugglers were arrested during the operation.

According to police, the seized ganja is valued at around Rs 1.50 crore in the illegal market. Authorities also confiscated two vehicles and five mobile phones used in the smuggling operation, taking the total value of the seized property to approximately Rs 1.86 crore.

The operation was conducted on the directions of Raigarh SSP Shashi Mohan Singh following specific intelligence inputs about a large consignment of cannabis being moved from Odisha’s Sonepur region to Anuppur district in Madhya Pradesh.

Acting on the information, police teams set up barricades on key routes under the supervision of Additional Superintendent of Police Anil Kumar Sony and SDOP Dharamjaigarh Siddhant Tiwari. During a late-night vehicle checking drive on the Kataklia route, officers intercepted a Toyota Innova Crysta and a Maruti Suzuki XL6.

Police became suspicious after discovering that the Innova Crysta was carrying dual registration plates. The vehicle displayed registration number OD-10-H-0050 over another number plate bearing CG-13-BY-6540.

A team led by Lailunga Station House Officer Sub-Inspector Girdhari Sao detained the occupants and conducted a search under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

The search led to the recovery of 300 kg of ganja concealed inside the vehicles. Police also seized a Toyota Innova Crysta worth around Rs 20 lakh, a Maruti Suzuki XL6 valued at approximately Rs 14 lakh, and five mobile phones, including two iPhones, collectively worth about Rs 2 lakh.

The arrested accused have been identified as Nikhil Kashyap (23) from Balrampur district, Chhattisgarh; Rinku Kashyap (28) from Surguja district, Chhattisgarh; and Dharmendra Kumar Maurya (27) from Anuppur district, Madhya Pradesh.

During interrogation, the accused allegedly revealed that the consignment was meant to be delivered to associates in Anuppur. Based on the seizure, Lailunga Police registered a case under Sections 20(b) and 29 of the NDPS Act and launched a further investigation to uncover the wider smuggling network.

SSP Shashi Mohan Singh said Raigarh Police would continue its strict action against those involved in the illegal narcotics trade and intensify efforts to dismantle interstate drug trafficking networks operating in the region.