Koraput: In a major crackdown on illegal narcotics trade, police in Koraput district seized a huge quantity of ganja weighing 2,219 kg from a forest area near Devatiguda village under Padua police station limits. The estimated value of the seized contraband is over ₹1.10 crore, officials said.
The operation was carried out on Wednesday night following specific intelligence inputs. A police team led by Padua Police Station Officer-in-Charge Ashok Kumar Bisoi and Sub-Inspector Surendra Sethi conducted a raid in the forest under Hatibari panchayat.
During the search operation, police discovered around 180 polysacks filled with ganja bundles, allegedly stored for illegal transportation. However, the smugglers managed to flee the spot after misleading the police team.
The seized contraband was later brought to the Padua police station, where it was weighed in the presence of a Magistrate and confirmed to be 2,219 kg.
Nandapur SDPO Debendra Kumar Mallik, while briefing the media, termed the seizure a significant success in the ongoing drive against narcotics smuggling in the region. He also commended the efforts of the Padua police team involved in the operation.
Police have registered a case in connection with the seizure, and an investigation has been taken up by Sub-Inspector Deepak Barik. Efforts are underway to identify and apprehend those involved in the illegal trade.
The latest seizure comes close on the heels of a massive haul of ganja oil worth ₹200 crore in the same police station area last month, highlighting the region’s continued vulnerability to organized drug trafficking networks.
