Cannabis Smugglers Intensify Operations Despite Strict Surveillance

NEWS CHARIOT:-Despite stringent monitoring and multiple checkpoints across key routes, cannabis smugglers continue to operate freely, exploiting corrupt practices and employing hired hands to evade capture. The illegal trade of cannabis is flourishing, with officials often accused of turning a blind eye to the escalating problem.

In Odisha’s Malkangiri district, cannabis is procured at approximately Rs. 5,000 per kilogram and sold for nearly Rs. 2 lakhs in metropolitan areas, indicating a massive profit margin that fuels the smuggling network. The primary transit hub for this illegal trade is the town of Bhadrachalam, located about 173 kilometers from Malkangiri, along a route passing through Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Andhra Pradesh.

Though there are several police and excise checkpoints along this corridor, the combined effect of corruption and negligence allows crores worth of cannabis to cross state borders unchecked. Excise enforcement in Bhadrachalam has intensified, leading to seizures of large quantities of cannabis. However, officials estimate that these seizures represent only around 10% of the total cannabis being trafficked.

From January 2025 to date, the Excise Department in the combined Khammam district has registered 58 cases, seizing nearly 700 kilograms of dried cannabis. Authorities have arrested 74 individuals and confiscated 35 vehicles involved in smuggling operations.

The smuggling network operates through hired individuals who transport cannabis under the direction of elusive mafia dons. These hired transporters are paid up to Rs. 1 lakh per delivery. If caught, they often refuse to reveal the identities of their bosses, ensuring the protection of the upper echelons of the syndicate.

Smugglers have adopted multiple routes, including pathways through Venkatapuram to Warangal and Hyderabad. Some shipments even move via RTC buses and railway cargo from Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada to avoid detection.

Officials from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana police and excise departments are urged to coordinate efforts, intensify inspections, and scrutinize all vehicles to effectively dismantle the cannabis smuggling network. Experts believe that only through combined vigilance can the illegal cannabis trade be curtailed.

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