Odisha Police bust major ganja oil operation worth Rs 225 crore
Bhubaneswar (By Abhishek Mohanty): In a massive narcotics crackdown, Odisha Police have seized over 1,800 litres of hashish oil and more than 1,100 kg of raw ganja in a forested area near the Odisha–Andhra Pradesh border. The hashish oil alone is valued at approximately Rs 225 crore, while the raw ganja is estimated at nearly Rs 5 crore.
The raid exposed a hidden processing unit where traffickers were converting ganja into high-value hashish oil, a method increasingly adopted to make transport easier and more profitable.
Police said the main masterminds behind the operation remain at large, but four individuals involved in smuggling ganja at Nandapur have been arrested.
Odisha DGP YB Khurania said, “A robust investigation is underway. We have reached close to the masterminds, and strong operations are ongoing to dismantle these mafia networks.”
Authorities employed drone surveillance to locate and destroy ganja cultivation in remote forest areas. Officials noted a shift in trafficking trends: after large seizures, traffickers often move from raw ganja to processed oil, as a litre of ganja oil now commands a higher price than a kilogram of raw ganja.
All illegal setups were destroyed and contraband seized, with police vowing to continue intelligence-led operations to prevent further smuggling and processing of narcotics across the state.
