Chaibasa police bust opium racket; 3 held with 20 kg poppy husk, ₹7 lakh cash
Synopsis
Jharkhand police turned a forest tip-off into a drug bust, surrounding three smugglers mid-deal near Rogod Village in West Singhbhum. The seizure of 20 kg of opium poppy husk and ₹7 lakh cash points to a financially organised network exploiting remote forest cover — and police say the interstate syndicate behind it is still being mapped.
Key Takeaways
Chaibasa (West Singhbhum) police arrested 3 accused in a forest ambush near Rogod Village on 22 May .
Seized: 20 kg of illegal opium poppy husk, 2 motorcycles , and ₹7 lakh in cash.
Accused identified as Buddhanath Purti , Soma Hassa Purti (Rogod Village), and Mangra Huni Purti (Kotgarh Village).
Cases registered under the NDPS Act ; all three sent to judicial custody on Friday .
Police are pursuing intelligence to dismantle the full interstate trafficking syndicate .
Police in West Singhbhum (Chaibasa) district, Jharkhand, have dismantled a major opium smuggling network after arresting three accused red-handed during a forest ambush near Rogod Village under the Tebo police station area on 22 May. The operation yielded 20 kg of illegal opium poppy husk, two motorcycles used in trafficking, and cash amounting to ₹7 lakh.
How the Raid Unfolded
The operation was triggered by a tip-off received by the district police chief, indicating that a group of smugglers planned to converge in a forested area near Rogod Village to complete a large drug consignment deal. Following verification, a special search team was constituted under the leadership of Tebo police station incharge Sushil Kumar Marandi.
The team strategically laid a trap in the forest adjoining the village. When the accused arrived to finalise the transaction, officers closed in from multiple directions. The three suspects abandoned their motorcycles and attempted to escape into the dense forest, but were chased down and apprehended by alert personnel.
Who Was Arrested
The three arrested individuals have been identified as Buddhanath Purti and Soma Hassa Purti, both residents of Rogod Village, and Mangra Huni Purti, a resident of Kotgarh Village. All three were sent to judicial custody on Friday after completion of legal formalities.
Cases have been registered against the accused under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
The Broader Trafficking Problem
Station incharge Marandi noted that a significant portion of the Tebo police station jurisdiction is flanked by remote, dense forests, which some locals reportedly exploit to secretly cultivate opium in interior regions. This comes amid growing concerns about West Singhbhum's vulnerability to narcotics trafficking routes that cut through forested tribal belts.
Notably, the recovery of two motorcycles and a substantial cash reserve of ₹7 lakh suggests the network was operationally active and financially organised — not a small-scale operation.
What Happens Next
Police have said they are continuously gathering intelligence to dismantle the full syndicate and map its interstate trafficking network. The arrests are expected to provide leads into supply chains and potential cultivators operating deeper in the forest regions of the district.
Point of View
But the detail that matters most is what police said afterward: the syndicate has interstate dimensions and forest-based cultivation is ongoing. West Singhbhum's dense tribal forest belt has long been flagged as a cultivation and transit corridor — a structural vulnerability that single-raid operations cannot resolve. The ₹7 lakh cash recovery from three individuals in a remote forest deal signals organised, recurring commerce, not opportunistic crime. Whether this arrest produces actionable intelligence on the supply chain, or becomes another isolated seizure statistic, will be the real measure of this operation.
NationPress
9 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What was seized in the Chaibasa opium smuggling bust?
Police seized 20 kg of illegal opium poppy husk, two motorcycles used for trafficking, and cash worth ₹7 lakh from the three arrested accused near Rogod Village in West Singhbhum, Jharkhand.
Who were the accused arrested in the Tebo police station area drug raid?
The three accused are Buddhanath Purti and Soma Hassa Purti , both from Rogod Village, and Mangra Huni Purti from Kotgarh Village. All three were sent to judicial custody after being charged under the NDPS Act.
How did Chaibasa police plan the opium raid?
The district police chief received a tip-off that smugglers planned to meet in a forested area near Rogod Village to complete a drug deal. A special team under station incharge Sushil Kumar Marandi verified the information and laid a strategic trap in the forest, surrounding the accused when they arrived.
Why is West Singhbhum vulnerable to opium trafficking?
According to the station incharge, a large part of the Tebo police station area is surrounded by remote, dense forests that some individuals reportedly use to secretly cultivate opium. The terrain makes surveillance difficult and provides cover for trafficking networks.
What legal action has been taken against the arrested smugglers?
Cases have been registered against all three accused under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act . They were sent to judicial custody on Friday following completion of legal formalities.
