Odisha Police Seize Drugs Worth Rs 2,331 Crore, Destroy Illegal Hemp Valued at Rs 1,911 Crore

Odisha Police has seized 421 tonnes of ganja worth Rs 2,106 crore and 1,800 litres of hash oil valued at Rs 225 crore , besides destroying illegal hemp cultivation spread across 63,720 acres with an estimated market value of Rs 1,911 crore , during a statewide anti drug drive conducted between July 2024 and March 2026. Director General of Police Y B Khurania announced the figures while addressing the state level pre trial drug disposal programme and mass anti drug pledge ceremony in Bhubaneswar as part of the National Level Pre Trial Drug Destruction Special Drive being held nationwide from June 26 to July 10 under the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) .

Police registered 2,445 cases under the NDPS Act , arrested 3,502 people , and dismantled a major hash oil manufacturing unit in Koraput and Malkangiri , leading to the seizure of hash oil worth Rs 225 crore and the arrest of four accused from Kerala . The Special Task Force (STF) also arrested two members of an interstate drug trafficking syndicate operating across Kandhamal , Boudh , Sonepur , and neighbouring states. During the ongoing destruction drive, authorities have initiated the disposal of 82 tonnes of ganja and 11.4 kg of brown sugar valued at around Rs 1,000 crore .

To strengthen enforcement, the state has approved four dedicated NDPS courts in Bhubaneswar , Khurda , Angul , and Sambalpur , while a specialised Anti Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) headed by an Additional DGP will be created with 10 operational units and 19 intelligence units . The task force will identify interstate syndicates, drug hotspots and major traffickers, with police planning stringent action against at least 100 major drug mafia members every year through financial investigations targeting the masterminds and financiers behind the trade. Authorities have also prepared district specific action plans for eight vulnerable districts as Odisha aims to become drug free by March 2029 . Recent reports also indicate growing interstate coordination, with a Chhattisgarh Police team currently in Odisha as part of a separate investigation into cross border ganja smuggling.