Nagpur: In a major crackdown on inter-state drug trafficking, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) intercepted a truck and seized a massive 522 kg consignment of ganja at Saoner near Nagpur in the early hours of Sunday, exposing yet another well-organised narcotics supply line operating across multiple states.
Acting on specific intelligence, DRI officers laid a trap at Bhagimahari toll plaza on the national highway around 5 am and stopped a truck bearing registration number MP-04-GB-3859, which was moving from Odisha towards Madhya Pradesh via Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra.
Gold Rate
12 Jan 2026
To evade detection, the smugglers had deliberately concealed the contraband beneath a deceptive load of coolers, fans, blankets and jackets, hoping to pass off the truck as a routine commercial consignment. However, a thorough search left no room for doubt, with officers recovering 522 kg of ganja, estimated to be worth Rs 2.61 crore in the illicit market.
The truck driver and his accomplice were immediately taken into custody. During preliminary questioning, it was confirmed that the ganja had originated in Odisha and was being trafficked through Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra for delivery in Madhya Pradesh, underlining the scale and brazenness of the operation. The accused were produced before a court, which granted the DRI two days’ custodial remand for further interrogation.
Investigators are now probing the larger trafficking network, suspecting the involvement of organised syndicates operating from Odisha. The agency has withheld the identities of the accused, both aged between 35 and 40 years, pending further investigation.
The seizure comes close on the heels of the DRI’s recent haul of hundreds of kilograms of MD drugs in Wardha district’s Karanja Ghadge, valued at nearly Rs 200 crore, indicating a disturbing surge in drug trafficking routes passing through Maharashtra. Officials said sustained and rigorous interrogation of the arrested accused is underway to unmask the entire supply chain and identify the masterminds behind the operation.
