Malkangiri Police in Odisha on 3 May 2025 busted a clandestine mobile hashish oil manufacturing unit near Essar Chowk under Chitrakonda Police Station, seizing approximately 800 litres of chemicals and solvents used as precursors for producing highly potent hashish oil. According to senior police officials, the seized precursors have the potential to yield finished hashish oil with an estimated market value of around ₹100 crore.

How the Operation Unfolded

For several days prior to the bust, Malkangiri Police had been receiving intelligence inputs suggesting that a hashish oil manufacturing unit was likely operating in the Chitrakonda area of the district. Acting on these tip-offs, police teams launched surveillance and verification of suspected locations, followed by multiple raids across remote and forested pockets of the district.

Officials noted that as police pressure intensified, syndicate members reportedly began transporting the entire manufacturing set-up across various locations to evade detection. The operation culminated in the early morning hours of 3 May, when teams led by Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Chitrakonda Pradosh Pradhan intercepted a vehicle carrying the complete clandestine mobile unit as it moved toward the Sileru area.

What Was Seized

In addition to the 800 litres of chemical precursors, police seized 50 kg of ganja and 2 litres of finished hashish oil. A vehicle bearing an Andhra Pradesh registration with a falsified registration number, used to transport the materials, was also confiscated. The driver of the vehicle managed to flee into the dense jungle, exploiting the difficult terrain to evade arrest.

Manhunt and Investigation Under Way

The Malkangiri district Superintendent of Police has since constituted multiple specialised teams to apprehend the absconding driver, identify other syndicate members involved in the illegal operation, and gather further details about the seized vehicle. Investigators are also working to establish the full extent of the network and its distribution chain across other states.

A Shift in Smuggling Tactics

The bust highlights a notable trend in drug trafficking in the region. Amid heightened vigilance by security forces against traditional ganja smuggling, traffickers are reportedly shifting toward hashish oil extraction. Being significantly lower in volume than raw ganja, hashish oil is easier to conceal and transport, making it an increasingly attractive product for smuggling networks targeting buyers in other states. This is the latest in a series of drug-related operations by Odisha Police in the Malkangiri district, which shares a porous border with Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.