JEYPORE: Koraput police on Saturday arrested six persons, including the mastermind of the inter-state narcotics syndicate in connection with the `225 crore hashish oil manufacturing network inside the Jalaput reservoir.
The arrests were made after a sustained cordon-and-search operation under the Padwa police station limits. Police said the accused included Allen Jayaraj (33) of Thiruvananthapuram. Jayaraj is reported to be the mastermind. Along with him, Kiran D (33), Anand Raj (28) and Bithu B (34), all from Kerala, along with two locals, Laichan Khilla (25) of Malkangiri district and Sadhu Pangi (45) of Koraput district were arrested.
Police said Jayaraj supervised the chemical extraction process and coordinated the inter-state network. The Kerala-based operatives were involved in manufacturing and distribution, while the local accused managed logistics and procurement of ganja, facilitating operations in the dense forest terrain.
The specialised operation was launched on Thursday, following specific intelligence inputs about illegal narcotics production on a remote island within the Jalaput reservoir, located in the Parajabadapada forest. A tactical team used boats to reach the secluded island, where they uncovered a temporary yet sophisticated laboratory equipped with generators, customised pressure cookers, metal pipes, connectors and other apparatus used for extracting high-purity hashish oil.
During the raid, some of the accused attempted to flee into the forest, taking advantage of the difficult terrain. Police responded with an intensive grid search and combing operation, sealed ferry points and deployed drones for aerial surveillance before apprehending all six from different locations on the island.
DIG (South Western Range) KV Singh said investigation is underway to identify and apprehend others involved in the illegal manufacturing and trafficking network. A special investigation team (SIT) has been formed, and coordination with police in other states is in progress, he added.