- 847 kg of ganja worth over Rs 4.2 crore has been seized
- The gang operated a supply route from Odisha to Uttar Pradesh via Telangana and Karnataka
- The syndicate used safe village outskirts, uniform packaging, and bypass routes to avoid detection
In a meticulously coordinated joint strike, the Regional Narcotics Control Cell of Khammam and the Cyberabad Narcotic Police Station of Telangana's Elite Action Group for Drug Law Enforcement (EAGLE), have dismantled a major interstate drugs trafficking network, seizing 847 kg of high-grade ganja valued at over Rs 4.2 crore in the illicit market and arrested two habitual offenders.
The operation is one of the largest and most precise anti-drug actions of 2025, targeting a supply corridor running from Malkangiri (Odisha) to Uttar Pradesh via Telangana and Karnataka.
Two days ago, credible intelligence reached the team about a Uttar Pradesh-registered Mahindra Bolero pick-up carrying a massive ganja consignment from Odisha, expected to pass through Thondapalli village, Shamshabad, on the Bangalore National Highway between 3 pm and 6 pm.
By 1 pm, a joint RNCC-CNPS team was deployed with surveillance vehicles, weighing equipment, packing materials, and documentation tools. At 5 pm, the suspect vehicle was intercepted near Opposite Jama Masjid, Shamshabad Road. Two individuals were found inside, later identified as Khilla Dhana and Rajendar Bajing, both residents of Malkangiri district, Odisha.
Khilla Dhana, 29, was arrested in 2019 by Donkarai Police, Andhra Pradesh, for transporting 20 kg of ganja. He served four months in Rajahmundry Central Jail and the case is still pending.
He is suspected to be involved in at least three major deliveries to Uttar Pradesh in 2025 alone, of 350 kg, 500 kg, and 600 kg consignments. Known for his skill in long-distance transport without detection, he carries weapons for protection.
Rajendar Bajing, 26, was arrested in 2023 by Narsipatnam Police, Andhra Pradesh, for transporting 150 kg of ganja. He spent 10 months in Visakhapatnam Central Jail before release on bail. The case is pending. He acts as an escort and co-driver, with intimate knowledge of alternative rural routes.
The investigation exposed a tightly knit trafficking chain. Ramesh Sukri who is still missing, operated as the central coordinator from Malkangiri and is linked to both the arrested accused through their village network.
His associate, Jagadish Kuldeep, procured bulk ganja from cultivators like Shibo and Basu in remote forest areas.
The syndicate's primary buyer, Shaffiq from Uttar Pradesh, placed large-volume orders, provided advance vehicles with UP registration, and handled payments through couriers or layered transfers to obscure the trail.
Ten days before the bust, Shaffiq travelled to Rajahmundry to personally hand over the Bolero pick-up to Ramesh, instructing that it be loaded with 800 kg of ganja and delivered to UP by handing over at Shamshabad.
Ramesh split the order, 600 kg from Shibo and 200 kg from Basu, with Rs 2 lakh advanced to Khilla Dhana to secure the second lot. To reduce risk, Ramesh engaged Rajendar as co-driver, promising Rs 10,000 for his role.
The syndicate's method was precise: ganja was first moved in small loads from fields to safe village outskirts, then repacked in HDPE bags containing brown-tape-wrapped packets to mask odour. Uniform packaging allowed rapid loading into the vehicle. Drivers used Bangalore National Highway and Outer Ring Road bypasses to avoid checkpoints. Handovers were arranged at city outskirts to minimise exposure. Communication was restricted to basic feature phones with fresh SIMs, discarded after trips.
For security, Khilla carried a 23-inch sword hidden among the bags. This system had allowed the syndicate to complete multiple large deliveries without interception until the joint RNCC-EAGLE action ended their run.
The seized items include the 847 kg of ganja in 26 bags, the Mahindra Bolero pick-up, two mobile phones, and the sword. The case has been registered under the NDPS Act and the Arms Act at the Cyberabad Narcotic Police Station.
EAGLE, the state's restructured anti-narcotics wing, has said that this operation has crippled a major ganja supply route to North India. Efforts are underway to apprehend the other absconding members of the syndicate, and a financial investigation will be initiated to attach their properties.
