VIJAYAWADA: Cracking the whip against the illegal smuggling of ganja, drugs and other narcotic substances, the State police, including the Elite Anti-Narcotic Group for Law Enforcement (EAGLE) wing, have significantly intensified operations across the State.
From January 1 till date this year, police have registered as many as 1,560 NDPS cases and arrested a total of 4016 persons, marking a strong and sustained crackdown on the narcotics network.
Police have also seized 41,211 kgs of ganja, 6,846 ganja chocolates and compounded 673 vehicles used for smuggling.
According to official data, 52,479 kgs of ganja were seized in 2024 alone, reflecting both the scale of the illegal trade and the determination of law enforcement agencies to dismantle it.
During these operations, 4,851 smugglers were arrested, including key figures operating in inter-state trafficking networks.
The police have also succeeded in busting 15 interstate gangs, cutting off several major supply routes that operated across neighbouring state borders.
“Special focus has been placed on preventing the smuggling and transportation of ganja into the State, with enhanced surveillance at border check posts, highway interceptions, and coordinated intelligence-sharing with other state agencies,” EAGLE chief Ake Ravi Krishna told TNIE.
The crackdown has further deepened in 2025 with a focus on preventive detention and financial investigations aimed at dismantling the economic backbone of drug networks.
“We have received 63 PIT NDPS detention orders across various regions (19 in ASR, 22 in Vijayawada, nine each in Visakhapatnam and Anakapalli, three in Vizianagaram and five in Tirupati,” he explained.
Simultaneously, financial investigations and asset forfeiture proceedings have resulted in the attachment and seizure of properties worth around Rs 8 crore belonging to 11 persons who were involved in drug trafficking.
“The enforcement strategy extended beyond arrests and seizures includes cutting off financial channels, tracking illicit wealth, and deterring repeat offenders through preventive detention. Our aim is not only to arrest smugglers but to completely dismantle the network that supports and profits from this illegal trade,” Ravi Krishna said, adding EAGLE would continue targeted raids, covert surveillance, and community-based intelligence programmes.
The intensified drives being carried out across the State sends a strong message that drug trafficking will not be tolerated and that the State is committed to protecting its youth and society from impact of narcotic addiction.