Koraput: In a major triumph for Odisha’s anti-narcotics efforts, the Koraput Police have dismantled a sophisticated inter-state syndicate involved in the large-scale clandestine production of hashish oil, also known as liquid ganja.
The breakthrough operation unfolded in the remote, densely forested island area within the Jolaput Reservoir under the jurisdiction of Padwa Police Station in Koraput district, near the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border. This region, with its challenging terrain and limited accessibility, has long been exploited by drug traffickers for such illegal activities.
The crackdown began on February 26, 2026, when a specialized tactical team, acting on precise intelligence inputs, executed a high-risk amphibious raid.
Using boats to reach the isolated island hidden in the Parajabadapada forest, the officers stormed a fully operational temporary laboratory set up for commercial-scale extraction and processing of hashish oil from cannabis plants. The raid, registered under FIR No. 30/2026 at Padwa Police Station (sections 20(b)(ii)(c), 27, 29, and 21(c) of the NDPS Act), marked one of the most significant drug hauls in Odisha’s recent history.
Authorities seized an astonishing 1,800.5 litres of high-purity hashish oil, with an estimated street value of around Rs 225 crore (though some reports cite figures between Rs 200 crore and Rs 225 crore). In addition, they recovered 1,000 kg of dry ganja (flowering and fruiting tops of the cannabis plant), valued at approximately Rs 5 crore.
The makeshift lab was equipped with advanced industrial setups, including a 28 KV Honda generator, custom-modified pressure cookers fitted with piping and connectors, metal pipes, induction heaters, storage drums, adhesives, and other components essential for the multi-stage production process.
Police also confiscated 80 litres of chemicals and cleaning solvents, primarily isopropyl alcohol used in fermentation, distillation, and controlled heating to extract the concentrated oil. Several incriminating documents were recovered from the site, providing crucial leads into the syndicate’s operations.
During the initial raid, one individual—Laxman Khilla (23), a resident of ChitalPada village in Parajabadapada GP under Padwa PS—was arrested on the spot while tending to the unit. He was forwarded to judicial custody the following day, February 27, 2026. However, the primary kingpin and several key conspirators managed to flee into the surrounding thick jungle just moments before the police arrived, taking advantage of the dense terrain.
Despite the formidable challenges posed by the rugged landscape and thick vegetation, the sustained efforts succeeded in apprehending six more individuals who had been hiding for nearly 30 hours. The arrested persons include the syndicate’s mastermind and main operator/cook, Allen Jayaraj (33), from Thiruvananthapuram district in Kerala, along with other key members: Kiran D (33), Anand Raj (28), and Bithu B (34), all from Thiruvananthapuram areas in Kerala. Local logistics facilitators from Odisha—Laichan Khilla (25) from Malkangiri district and Sadhu Pangi (45) from Koraput district—were also nabbed.
All have been or will be remanded to judicial custody, with ongoing verification of their criminal antecedents.
