In Hyderabad, the EAGLE team achieved a significant victory against drug trafficking. They seized 935.611 kilograms of ganja, valued at Rs 5 crore, dismantling a smuggling ring operating from Odisha to Maharashtra via Andhra Pradesh.
This operation stands out as one of the largest ganja busts of 2025, highlighting EAGLE‘s efficiency and effectiveness. Authorities arrested Pawar Kumar Badu, the suspected leader, along with Samadhan Kantilal Bhise, the operation’s financier, and Vinayak Baba Saheb Pawar, involved in transportation logistics.
Pawar had been previously detained in Satara, Maharashtra. The police confiscated 935.611 kg of ganja, stored in 455 packets within 35 HDPE bags. Additional items seized included six mobile phones, a lorry, and a car, all linked to the smuggling network.
On July 26, EAGLE‘s unit at RNCC Khammam received a tip-off about a large ganja shipment traveling in a heavy vehicle escorted by a car. The convoy was expected at the Batasingaram Fruit Market Junction on the Vijayawada National Highway between 2 pm and 4 pm.
A swift response team was deployed, and by 3 pm, they intercepted the vehicles. Hidden under empty plastic fruit trays were 35 HDPE bags containing 455 packets of ganja, each wrapped in brown tape. The total weight confirmed was 935.611 kg. The seizure was thoroughly documented with photos and videos by a CLUES Team.
The arrested individuals confessed that Pawar, a repeat offender, coordinated the operation with Sachin Gangaram Chouhan (still at large) and Vicky Seth (the supplier from Odisha).
The suspects traveled from Maharashtra to Rajahmundry on July 23 in a rented car. There, they met Sachin, who loaded the truck with ganja. The convoy then headed to Maharashtra, with the car providing an escort to avoid detection.
The syndicate used a credit-based system, financing local suppliers and buyers, managing accounts, and ensuring consistent distribution. The investigation confirmed their involvement in financing, transporting, and distributing narcotics, leading to charges under Section 27A of the NDPS Act. The case has been registered under Sections 8(c), 20(b)(ii)(C), 27A, and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
