Koraput: Malkangiri police on Sunday seized 1,250 kg of ganja dumped in Bejingwada area under Kalimela police station limits during a special enforcement drive.“We received a tip-off about a large quantity of ganja dumped in a forest area and immediately launched an operation. No arrest could be made as nobody was present at the spot during the raid,” said SP (Malkangiri) Vinod Patil.
Police said a case has been registered and further investigation is underway to trace the source of the contraband and identify those behind the smuggling racket. Possible inter-state links connected to the seizure are also being examined.Patil said the operation is part of sustained and intelligence-based action against narcotics. “Malkangiri has long been a target zone for drug traffickers, and we are determined to dismantle these networks completely,” Patil said.Official records revealed that Malkangiri, which borders Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh, has seen a sharp rise in enforcement activity over the past year. In 2025, police seized about 31,000 kg of ganja, compared to 23,000 kg in 2024, reflecting a more aggressive and coordinated approach to curb the drug trade.DIG (south-western range) Kanwar Vishal Singh said there would be an even tougher push against narcotics in the district. “In the next few months, our focus will be on a comprehensive crackdown on the ganja trade in Malkangiri. We will intensify operations against cultivation, processing units and trafficking routes. No one involved in the illegal business will be spared,” he said.The DIG said that traffickers are now attempting to diversify into more dangerous and high-value narcotic products. “Along with ganja, we are seeing attempts at hashish and ganja oil manufacturing. This is a serious concern. Our strategy is to detect such units early and destroy them before they can expand,” he added.In Nov 2025, Malkangiri police seized 60 kg of hashish oil from a place under Chitrakonda police station limits, the first such case registered in the state. “The seizure exposed a new trend in the region. Since then, we have strengthened surveillance and technical monitoring to prevent Malkangiri from becoming a hub for processed narcotics,” Singh said.Police have urged the public to come forward with information about narcotics. “Public support is crucial in making Malkangiri drug-free. We are targeting cultivation, cutting, storage, transportation and marketing of ganja with equal intensity,” the DIG said.
