Nagpur: In a significant blow to the flourishing narcotics trade that continues to poison communities and lure youth into addiction, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Nagpur, has dismantled an inter-state drug trafficking network and seized a massive 522.554 kg consignment of cannabis (ganja) valued at approximately Rs 2.61 crore. The seizure exposed the extraordinary lengths to which smugglers are now going to evade law enforcement, including the use of specially engineered secret compartments concealed within commercial vehicles.
Acting on specific intelligence inputs regarding the movement of narcotics through the notorious Odisha–Central India smuggling corridor, DRI officers from the Nagpur Regional Unit launched a meticulously planned surveillance operation along National Highway-53. Their efforts culminated in the interception of a suspicious truck at Mathni Toll Plaza near Mouda, where officers uncovered what officials described as a highly sophisticated concealment mechanism designed exclusively for drug transportation.
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June 06 2026 - Time 10.30Hrs
What appeared to be an ordinary goods vehicle was, in reality, a mobile narcotics warehouse. During an intensive search, DRI officers discovered multiple custom-built hidden cavities created to outsmart enforcement agencies. Smugglers had fabricated a secret compartment directly above the driver’s and passenger’s seats, another concealed chamber behind the driver’s seat, and additional hidden spaces inside a locked toolbox beneath the cargo area and on top of the driver’s cabin.
From these cleverly disguised compartments, officers recovered eight HDPE bags containing 247 packets of cannabis, meticulously wrapped in khaki-coloured plastic tape to suppress odour and avoid detection during transit. The DRI seized the entire 522 kg consignment, along with the truck used in the operation, valued at approximately Rs 8.5 lakh, under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
Two persons travelling in the vehicle were arrested on the spot for their alleged role in the trafficking network. Investigators believe the seizure is part of a much larger inter-state syndicate involved in the transportation and distribution of narcotics across multiple states.
Officials noted that the increasing use of professionally designed secret cavities reflects the growing sophistication of drug syndicates, which are constantly adapting their methods to stay ahead of law enforcement. However, they credited intelligence-based operations and detailed route mapping for the successful interception.
The latest seizure comes amid intensified efforts by the DRI to choke drug supply chains operating through central India. Earlier this year, the same DRI unit carried out two major linked operations, resulting in the seizure of more than 1,250 kg of ganja worth Rs 6.25 crore and the arrest of four key operatives, including the alleged mastermind of the network.
With another major consignment intercepted, authorities have once again highlighted the alarming scale of the narcotics menace and the organized criminal networks behind it. Investigators are now pursuing leads to identify the financiers, transporters and local distributors who form part of the wider supply chain, as efforts continue to dismantle the syndicate from its roots.
