847 kg of ganja worth Rs 4.2 crore seized in Telangana; 2 held
Hyderabad, Aug 5 (PTI) The Elite Action Group for Drug Law Enforcement (EAGLE) on Tuesday said it has dismantled a major interstate ganja trafficking network, seizing 847 kilograms of high-grade ganja valued at over Rs 4.2 crore in the illicit market and arrested two habitual offenders from Odisha.
The operation is one of the largest and most precise anti-drug actions of 2025, targeting a supply corridor running from Malkangiri (Odisha) to Uttar Pradesh via Telangana and Karnataka, Superintendent of Police (EAGLE) Ch Rupesh said.
Based on credible intelligence, teams intercepted a pick-up vehicle near Shamshabad road near here on August 4 and seized 847 kg of ganja (411 packets) from the vehicle, and arrested the two persons– Khilla Dhana and Rajendar B.
According to an official release, Ramesh Sukri (absconding) operated as the central coordinator from Malkangiri, linked to both arrested accused through their village network. His associate, Jagadish Kuldeep, procured bulk ganja from cultivators like Shibo and Basu in remote forest areas, they said.
Ten days ago, the syndicate's primary buyer, Shaffiq from Uttar Pradesh, personally handed over the pick-up vehicle to Ramesh, instructing that it be loaded with 800 kg of ganja and delivered to UP by handing over at Shamshabad, it said.
The syndicate's method was precise: ganja was first moved in small loads from fields to safe village outskirts, then repacked in bags containing brown-tape-wrapped packets to mask odour. Drivers used Bengaluru National Highway and Outer Ring Road bypasses to avoid checkpoints and handovers were arranged at city outskirts to minimise exposure, the release said.
Communication was restricted to basic feature phones with fresh SIMs, discarded after trips. For security, Khilla carried a sword hidden among the bags. This system had allowed the syndicate to complete multiple large deliveries without interception – until the Elite Action Group for Drug Law Enforcement's action ended their run, it said.
This action has crippled a major ganja supply route to North India, the release said, adding efforts are underway to nab the absconding accused. Financial investigation and property attachment proceedings will be initiated under the NDPS Act and BNSS, it said. PTI VVK VVK KH
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August 05, 2025, 16:15 IST
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