In a major crackdown on interstate narcotics trafficking, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Nagpur Regional Unit, has seized 522.554 kg of cannabis (ganja) valued at approximately ₹2.61 crore and arrested two individuals involved in the illegal drug trade.
Acting on specific intelligence, DRI officials intercepted a Tata Motors 16-ton truck travelling from the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border towards Maharashtra on National Highway-53 near the Mathni Toll Plaza in Mouda. During a thorough search of the vehicle, officers recovered 247 packets of ganja concealed in multiple hidden compartments, including cavities behind the driver’s seat, above the cabin seats, inside a locked toolbox beneath the cargo area, and on top of the driver’s cabin.
The seized contraband, weighing more than 522 kg, was packed in eight HDPE bags and wrapped in khaki-coloured plastic tape. The vehicle, valued at around ₹8.5 lakh, was also seized under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
According to DRI officials, the arrested individuals were part of an interstate drug trafficking network operating along the Odisha–Central India corridor and supplying narcotics to Maharashtra. The operation was carried out using intelligence-based surveillance and monitoring.
Earlier this year, in two related operations, the DRI Nagpur unit had seized more than 1,250 kg of ganja worth ₹6.25 crore and arrested four persons, including the alleged mastermind of the network.
The DRI stated that the latest seizure highlights its continued efforts to dismantle organised drug trafficking syndicates operating across state borders. The agency also appealed to citizens to share information regarding drug-related activities, assuring complete confidentiality to informants.
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