Subarnapur district becomes Ganja smuggling hotspot, a detailed report

Sonepur: Subarnapur district has turned into a hotspot for illegal ganja trade. Smugglers exploit the Telanadi River route, trafficking marijuana from Boudh district to states like Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh. The main smuggling routes include Manamunda Telanadi Bridge via Sonepur to Sambalpur, Telanadi via Tarbha to Sambalpur, and Telanadi via Baidyanath to Sambalpur.

Despite police efforts, the illicit business thrives. Thousands of hectares of ganja are cultivated in Kantamal block, with smugglers using multiple hidden routes along the Telanadi River. There’s an alleged hand-in-glove conspiracy to protect the vehicles transporting illegal marijuana and keep the mafias out of police grip. It is alleged that no action has been taken even though complaints have been made in this regard at various times.

At various times, vehicles full of ganja are being seized. But the accused are fleeing from the scene of the incident. They are even fleeing from the scene after abandoning expensive cars. Since the vehicles have different registration numbers, there is also a problem in the investigation.

It is true that the police are conducting raids to catch the mafia, but still the illegal trade is going on. Police have launched operations like Garuda, and Prahar to curb the illegal trade.

In the last 5 months, 65 cases have been registered and 45 quintals of ganja and 438 bottles of cough syrup have been seized. The estimated value of this is more than Rs 45 crore. 127 people involved in this illegal trade have been arrested. 44 bikes, 22 four-wheelers, 2 trucks, one three-wheeler, 121 mobile phones and cash worth Rs 16 lakh 82 thousand 410 have been seized from them, the SP said. Efforts have been started to make Subarnapur district free from illegal drug trade.