Raipur
The Raipur Police Commissionerate has frozen bank accounts and seized immovable properties worth ₹2.32 crore belonging to a notorious cannabis smuggler and his family members under the Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators (Forfeiture of Property) Act (SAFEMA).
The action follows a financial investigation into the assets of Hemraj Rao (50), a resident of Achholi in the Urla area. The Urla police arrested Rao on 9 December 2025 near the Achholi Birai pond after recovering 1.390 kg of cannabis from his possession. He was booked under Section 20(B) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
Rao, a habitual offender with a history of involvement in drug trafficking cases, is currently lodged in jail under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PIT-NDPS) Act.
The Urla Station House Officer (SHO) submitted a detailed report to the SAFEMA court to attach properties allegedly acquired by Rao and his family through drug smuggling. Following the court’s approval, a district police team initiated the seizure.
The attached properties include Rao’s house on the Urla main road valued at approximately ₹1 crore, three plots of land measuring 914 square metres registered in the name of his wife Anita Rao in Achholi village worth ₹1.01 crore, and a two-wheeler valued at ₹90,000.
Law enforcement agencies also froze bank accounts containing ₹30.67 lakh belonging to the accused, bringing the total value of the seized assets to ₹2,32,11,000.
