Koraput: In a major crackdown on illegal narcotics trade, police in Odisha’s Koraput district have seized over 1.6 tonnes of ganja from forested areas within the Jalaput reservoir, officials said on Tuesday.
Acting on specific intelligence inputs, a joint team led by Nandapur Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Debendra Mahalik launched a coordinated search operation in the remote hill forests near Sabun and Lamdur villages, located on islands inside the reservoir under Machkund police limits.
The operation was carried out under the direction of the Koraput Superintendent of Police, with personnel from Machkund, Lamtaput, and Jalaput police stations, along with the Fire Services Department, participating in the operation.
During the intensive search, the team recovered approximately 1,602 kg of ganja concealed in the forest. The seized contraband is estimated to be worth several crores of rupees in the illegal market.
Addressing a press conference at Lamtaput Police Station, SDPO Mahalik said the ganja was stockpiled by smugglers with plans to transport it to other states at a later stage. He noted that retrieving and transporting the seized material posed logistical challenges due to the need to move it across the reservoir by boat.
Mahalik further stated that while the Nandapur sub-division has been declared Maoist-free, police are now intensifying efforts to eliminate drug-related activities from the region.
No arrests have been made so far in connection with the seizure. Investigation into the case is underway.
Senior police officials, including Machkund IIC Kulamani Buruda and Lamtaput IIC Shishir Kant Ghosh, were present at the press briefing along with other personnel.
