The Special Operations Group (SOG) of Surat City Police apprehended two individuals from Odisha and confiscated 20 kilograms of ganja worth Rs 10 lakh during a raid in the Ved Road area of Surat, Gujarat. The arrests were made at a residential location in the city as part of the authorities’ crackdown on drug trafficking.
The detained suspects, Kalucharan Mahanti, 31, and Jitu Pradhan, 21, both hailing from Ganjam district in Odisha, were found in possession of the illegal substance. Along with the ganja, two mobile phones valued at Rs 25,000 were also seized during the operation, bringing the total value of the seized items to Rs 10.25 lakh.
The police operation, conducted under the supervision of Police Commissioner Anupam Singh Gehlot, is part of Surat’s “No Drugs in Surat City” initiative aimed at combatting the influx of narcotics into the city and preventing drug circulation among the youth. The suspects revealed during interrogation that they had acquired the ganja from a wanted individual and were en route to deliver it to another wanted person when intercepted by the SOG team.
A case has been filed at Chok Bazar Police Station under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, and investigations are ongoing to track down other members of the alleged drug supply network.
The recent seizure in Surat is the second significant ganja bust in the city within a span of two days. In a separate incident in the Mahidharpura area, authorities seized over 20 kg of ganja from a suspect transporting the contraband for distribution, bringing the total quantity seized in the two operations to more than 40 kg. This enforcement action adds to a series of recent anti-narcotics operations across Gujarat, including the confiscation of hybrid ganja in Ahmedabad and Himmatnagar, underscoring the state’s persistent efforts against drug trafficking.
