Six Inter-State Drug Traffickers Arrested in Chhattisgarh, 88 Kilograms of Cannabis Seized

Mahasamund, November 1 (Daily Kiran) : In a significant crackdown on inter-state drug trafficking, police in Mahasamund, Chhattisgarh, have apprehended six individuals from Maharashtra and seized 88 kilograms of cannabis valued at approximately ₹44 lakh.

The operation, dubbed “Operation Nishchay,” was a collaborative effort between the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) and the Patewa police. Acting on specific intelligence, authorities set up a blockade on National Highway 53, suspecting that the cannabis was being transported in a pickup truck under the guise of a Maruti Swift Dzire car.

Initially, police stopped the Swift Dzire and questioned the three occupants, but no illegal substances were found. Shortly afterward, they intercepted a suspicious white pickup truck. During the search, officers discovered three plastic bags containing the 88 kilograms of cannabis.

According to police reports, this shipment was allegedly sourced from Katamal in the Bargarh district of Odisha and was intended for distribution in Maharashtra. The six accused have been identified as Siddharth Dande, Sachin Madan Sonawani, Badrinath Prahlad Khurmute, Shankar Tukaram Dige, Vishal Santosh Khade, and Deepak Kharse, all residents of Maharashtra. Three of them were reportedly transporting the cannabis while the others served as escorts.

In addition to the cannabis, police confiscated a pickup truck worth ₹5 lakh, a Swift Dzire valued at ₹4 lakh, ₹28,600 in cash, and seven mobile phones worth ₹45,000. A case has been registered at the Patewa police station under sections 20(b) and 29(1) of the NDPS Act (Crime No. 210/2026). The accused have been remanded to judicial custody.

Authorities are continuing their investigation to trace the origins, destinations, and financial links of this inter-state trafficking network.