IN A major blow to an alleged interstate narcotics syndicate, Raigarh Police on Friday seized nearly 300 kg of ganja valued at around Rs 1.50 crore and arrested three alleged traffickers during a special anti-drug operation codenamed ‘Operation Aaghat’. The contraband was allegedly being transported from Odisha’s Sonepur region to Anuppur district of Madhya Pradesh through Chhattisgarh. Police also seized two luxury vehicles and five mobile phones, taking the total value of the seizure to approximately Rs 1.86 crore. Acting on specific intelligence inputs, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shashimohan Singh directed Lailunga Police to establish a multi-layered blockade and intercept the suspected vehicles. The operation was carried out under the supervision of Additional Superintendent of Police Anil Kumar Soni and SDOP Dharamjaigarh Siddhant Tiwari. During checking near Katkalia, police intercepted a Toyota Innova Crysta and a Maruti Suzuki XL6 matching the description provided by informants. Investigators found that the Innova carried a second registration plate concealed beneath the visible number plate, indicating an attempt to disguise the vehicle’s identity.

 

The occupants were identified as Nikhil Kashyap (23) of Balrampur district, Rinku Kashyap (28) of Surguja district and Dharmendra Kumar Maurya (27) of Anuppur district in Madhya Pradesh. A search of both vehicles led to the recovery of approximately 300 kg of ganja concealed for transportation. Police seized the contraband, the Innova Crysta valued at about Rs 20 lakh, the XL6 valued at about Rs 14 lakh and five mobile phones, including two iPhones. Preliminary interrogation revealed that the consignment was allegedly destined for associates in Anuppur. A case has been registered at Lailunga Police Station under Sections 20(B) and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Police have dispatched a special team towards Surguja and Anuppur to identify absconding associates and dismantle the wider trafficking network. Investigators are also examining interstate linkages behind the operation. Raigarh SSP Shashimohan Singh said action against narcotics traffickers would continue relentlessly and that Raigarh Police remained committed to dismantling the entire network behind the illegal drug trade.