Chhattisgarh police bust ₹85 lakh ganja haul hidden under glass waste, 4 held
Synopsis
Four alleged drug traffickers were caught in Chhattisgarh after police found 170.75 kg of ganja — worth ₹85 lakh — buried under broken glass and waste in a mini truck. The haul, part of a cross-state Odisha-to-UP supply route, had a total seizure value of ₹97.03 lakh including vehicles and cash.
Key Takeaways
Mahasamund police seized 170.75 kg of ganja worth ₹85 lakh on 27 August from a mini truck on National Highway 353 .
The contraband was concealed beneath broken glass and waste to evade detection.
Four accused arrested: Ankit Kumar Yadav (Raebareli), Santosh Gupta (Bhadohi), Avinash Singh (Varanasi), and Shyam Prakash Soni (Varanasi).
The alleged trafficking route ran from Boudhgarh, Odisha to Firozabad, Uttar Pradesh .
Total seized property — including vehicles and cash — valued at ₹97.03 lakh .
Case registered under Section 20(b) of the NDPS Act at Mahasamund police station.
Mahasamund police in Chhattisgarh arrested four alleged drug traffickers on 27 August after seizing 170.75 kg of ganja worth approximately ₹85 lakh, concealed beneath broken glass and waste inside a mini truck on National Highway 353. The total value of seized property, including vehicles and cash, is estimated at ₹97.03 lakh.
How the Smuggling Operation Was Uncovered
Acting on precise intelligence, Mahasamund police intercepted a suspicious mini truck near Maharaja Dhaba in Birkoni on Wednesday. The vehicle, on first inspection, appeared to be carrying ordinary broken glass and waste material. A thorough search, however, revealed 170.75 kg of ganja hidden beneath the debris — a deliberate camouflage, according to police, designed to pass routine checks without suspicion.
Who Was Arrested
The mini truck was being driven by Ankit Kumar Yadav, 25, a resident of Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh. During interrogation, he allegedly disclosed that three associates were trailing the truck in a separate vehicle. Police intercepted the Swift car and arrested Santosh Gupta, 60, of Bhadohi; Avinash Singh, 43, of Varanasi; and Shyam Prakash Soni, 37, also of Varanasi.
The Trafficking Route
According to police, the consignment was allegedly being transported from Boudhgarh in Odisha to Firozabad in Uttar Pradesh — a cross-state supply chain spanning three states. This route, passing through Chhattisgarh's highway network, is reportedly being monitored as a known corridor for narcotics movement.
What Was Seized
Authorities seized the 170.75 kg of ganja, the mini truck valued at ₹10 lakh, the Swift car valued at ₹2 lakh, a Nokia keypad mobile phone, and ₹3,670 in cash. The aggregate value of all seized property stands at ₹97.03 lakh, according to police.
Legal Action and What Comes Next
A case has been registered at Mahasamund police station under Section 20(b) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Further legal proceedings are underway. Police credited the operation to coordinated intelligence-led action. With a multi-state trafficking route now exposed, investigators are likely to probe whether a larger supply network is involved.
Point of View
Suggesting a persistent supply chain that intelligence agencies have yet to fully dismantle. The involvement of four individuals across different UP districts also points to a distributed cell structure rather than a lone-operator model. The real question is whether this bust unravels the broader network or remains an isolated intercept.
NationPress
27 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How much ganja was seized in the Mahasamund drug bust?
Police seized 170.75 kg of ganja valued at approximately ₹85 lakh from a mini truck on National Highway 353 in Mahasamund, Chhattisgarh, on 27 August. The total value of all seized property, including vehicles and cash, was estimated at ₹97.03 lakh.
How did police discover the ganja hidden in the truck?
Acting on specific intelligence, Mahasamund police intercepted the mini truck near Maharaja Dhaba in Birkoni. A detailed search revealed the ganja concealed beneath broken glass and waste material, which the accused had allegedly used to make the consignment appear to be ordinary debris.
Who are the four accused arrested in the Mahasamund drug case?
The four arrested individuals are Ankit Kumar Yadav (25, Raebareli, UP), who was driving the mini truck, and three associates who were following in a Swift car: Santosh Gupta (60, Bhadohi), Avinash Singh (43, Varanasi), and Shyam Prakash Soni (37, Varanasi).
What was the alleged trafficking route for the seized ganja?
According to police, the accused were allegedly transporting the ganja from Boudhgarh in Odisha to Firozabad in Uttar Pradesh, passing through Chhattisgarh's highway network.
Under which law have the accused been charged?
A case has been registered at Mahasamund police station under Section 20(b) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Further legal proceedings are underway.
