MYSURU: The seizure of nearly 280 kg of ganja by the Mysuru City Police last week, followed by the recovery of another 110 kg in neighbouring Mandya district on Wednesday, has once again exposed a growing narcotics corridor linking the cannabis-producing regions of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh with southern Karnataka.
Investigating officers told TNIE that these are not isolated incidents but part of a well-established supply chain that has been operating for years. Large quantities of ganja cultivated in remote forest belts along the Odisha-Andhra border are finding their way into the Mysuru region through a network of transporters, middlemen and local distributors, turning the area into a major transit point for the illegal trade across South India.
Police sources said traffickers are increasingly using the highway network to move consignments from eastern India. Vehicles carrying ganja often enter Karnataka through Andhra Pradesh before reaching Mysuru, Mandya, Chamarajanagar and neighbouring districts. From there, the narcotic is either sold locally or transported further to Bengaluru, Kerala and parts of Tamil Nadu.
What concerns investigators is the frequency with which large consignments are being intercepted. Despite repeated seizures running into hundreds of kilograms over the past few years, the flow of ganja from Odisha and Andhra Pradesh has shown little sign of slowing. The profits involved are enormous, with consignments purchased at relatively low prices near cultivation zones fetching several times their value in urban markets.
Officials believe Mysuru's strategic location has made it an attractive base for drug syndicates. The district is well connected and serves as a gateway to Kerala and southern Karnataka. Traffickers often use tourist vehicles, private cars, goods carriers and even public transport to evade detection, concealing the narcotic among other goods and agricultural produce.