Ganja smuggling racket busted, contraband worth ₹2.62 crore seized in Bhadradri Kothagudem

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription The View From India Looking at World Affairs from the Indian perspective. First Day First Show News and reviews from the world of cinema and streaming. Today's Cache Your download of the top 5 technology stories of the day. Data Point Decoding the headlines with facts, figures, and numbers Health Matters Ramya Kannan writes to you on getting to good health, and staying there The Hindu On Books Books of the week, reviews, excerpts, new titles and features. Three persons were arrested and a juvenile was detained after the EAGLE Force and Bhadradri Kothagudem police busted an interstate ganja smuggling racket and seized 525 kg of ganja | Photo Credit: By Arrangement Three persons were arrested and a juvenile was detained after the EAGLE Force and Bhadradri Kothagudem police busted an interstate ganja smuggling racket and seized 525 kg of ganja worth an estimated ₹2.62 crore during a joint operation on Tuesday (June 30, 2026). The arrested accused were identified as the supplier Sahadev Hantal, 20, of Malkangiri district in Odisha, the escort Dogri Thrinadh, 38 of Alluri Sitharama Raju district in Andhra Pradesh, and driver Kuldhip Sharma, 27, of Uttar Pradesh. According to investigators, Sahadev procured the contraband from the Allurikota forest area in Odisha and arranged for labourers to transport the consignment to Tulasipaka. The narcotic substance was then loaded into a container lorry owned by Mohammed Saif and Firoj Bhai, who police said had modified the vehicle by creating a concealed compartment to hide the contraband and avoid detection during transit. Police said the consignment was being transported from Tulasipaka in Andhra Pradesh to Uttar Pradesh through Telangana and Maharashtra. A motorcycle was deployed to escort the container lorry throughout the journey. Acting on a tip-off, the officials kept both vehicles under continuous surveillance from Tulasipaka before intercepting them on Tuesday at the west gate of the ITC Papers Board and Speciality Papers Division in Sarapaka under Burgampad in Bhadradri Kothagudem district. During the interception, officers recovered 525 kg ganja concealed inside the container lorry. The drugs, estimated to be worth ₹2.62 crore, along with the lorry, escort motorcycle, five mobile phones and cash, were seized. The alleged receivers of the consignment, identified as Mohammed Saif, Firoj Bhai, Raja Mishra and Mohammed Imran, currently remain at large. Efforts are underway to trace