Odisha Police have confiscated more than 500 kg of ganja, valued at approximately Rs 80 lakh, and arrested six persons for their suspected roles in the illicit trade, officials said on Tuesday.
The significant seizure is the result of heightened and continuous police surveillance aimed at curbing the illegal smuggling of ganja from Kandhamal and Boudh through Rourkela toward Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, according to police sources.
Commenting on the operation, Rourkela SP Nitesh Wadhwani stated, “It is a huge success in our drive against drugs and ganja in the city. We have arrested six persons in this connection.”
In a significant crackdown on narcotics smuggling, the Plantsite Police in Rourkela has intercepted a massive consignment of contraband Ganja. The operation resulted in the seizure of approximately 502.400 Kgs of Ganja and the arrest of six individuals involved in interstate… pic.twitter.com/WGVFHixjlR
— SP Rourkela (@sprourkela) February 17, 2026
Acting on a tip-off received during late-night patrolling on Monday regarding ganja being transported through Rourkela, police intercepted five vehicles near Phatapipe on Bondamunda road, discovering 502 kg of ganja stashed in 20 sacks, he said.
The arrested have been identified as Gunanidhi Ghusi (36), Sukhanth Oram (37), Rahul Kumar Sahu (25), Nikhil Ray (23), Kaushik Kumar Padhee (31) and Niraj Sonkar (24).
“Out of the six arrested, four are locals, and two are from outside the state. We are suspecting that gangs of other states are also involved in the illegal trade,” the SP said.
