Delhi Police's Anti-Narcotics Squad (ANS) of East District dismantled an interstate ganja trafficking network on 20 June 2026, arresting an Odisha-based supplier following a multi-district chase that stretched to the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border. The operation yielded 22.5 kg of ganja — classified as a commercial quantity under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act — along with a car allegedly used to ferry the contraband, with the seized drugs estimated to be worth approximately ₹10 lakh in the illicit market.

How the Operation Unfolded

The breakthrough began on 3 June 2026, when the ANS received specific intelligence that a suspect, identified as Sonu Kumar, a resident of Village Morti in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, would arrive near the back road of the Competent Maruti Showroom close to Talco T-Point in Ghazipur, Delhi, carrying a large consignment of ganja. A dedicated team laid a trap at the location and intercepted his vehicle.

A search of the car yielded two bags containing 22.5 kg of ganja. A case was registered under FIR No. 197/2026 under Sections 20 and 25 of the NDPS Act at Police Station PIA, Delhi. During subsequent interrogation, Kumar allegedly disclosed that he procured the narcotic in bulk from Deba Mandi, a resident of Malkangiri district, Odisha, located near the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border, before distributing it in smaller quantities across Delhi-NCR.

The Chase to Malkangiri

Following Kumar's arrest, Deba Mandi allegedly switched off all his mobile phones and went into hiding in a remote, forested region of Malkangiri district — an area investigators noted posed significant logistical challenges due to its dense forest cover and limited road connectivity. The ANS conducted sustained technical surveillance and carried out multiple raids across different districts of Odisha over several days.

On 17 June 2026, acting on fresh intelligence, the team tracked Mandi near the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border. After a brief chase across multiple locations, he was apprehended. After obtaining transit remand, he was brought to Delhi on 20 June 2026 and formally arrested in the case.

Profile of the Accused

According to investigators, Deba Mandi allegedly revealed that his village sits in a dense forest region where ganja grows naturally on hilly terrain. He claimed that the remoteness of the area and lack of proper road connectivity made regular enforcement monitoring difficult — a gap he allegedly exploited by cultivating and packaging ganja before supplying it to buyers across multiple states.

Notably, Mandi is not a first-time offender. He was previously arrested in 2018 under FIR No. 245/18 under Sections 20 and 29 of the NDPS Act at Kotwali Shahdol Police Station, Madhya Pradesh, and served a three-year prison sentence. After his release in 2022, he initially worked as a labourer but allegedly returned to drug trafficking approximately a year ago, coming into contact with Sonu Kumar and beginning bulk ganja supplies to him.

The Team Behind the Bust

The operation was conducted under the leadership of ACP Pawan Kumar, ACP/OPS East, with a dedicated ANS team comprising Inspector Arun Kumar, SI Vikas, SI Devendra, ASI Amit, ASI Arun, HC Vivek, HC Pradeep Sharma, HC Amit Kasana, HC Vikrant, HC Lakhan, and HC Harender. Intelligence was developed through local informers and human intelligence networks as part of an ongoing special drive against narcotics trafficking in East District.

What Comes Next

Deba Mandi is currently under interrogation to identify other members of the narcotics network and establish forward and backward linkages in the supply chain. Investigators believe both accused were part of an organised interstate drug trafficking syndicate motivated primarily by financial gain. Police said the investigation is ongoing and further arrests cannot be ruled out as they work to dismantle the full network.