Hyderabad: In a major haul with far-reaching ramifications, a team of the EAGLE (Elite Action Group for Drug Law Enforcement), seized 935.611 kilograms of ganja worth Rs 5 crore and busted a well-entrenched smuggling syndicate operating between Odisha and Maharashtra via Andhra Pradesh.

This high-value seizure marks one of the largest ganja busts of 2025 and demonstrates the operational excellence of EAGLE.

The police arrested Pawar Kumar Badu, believed to be the kingpin; financier of drug trafficking operation, Samadhan Kantilal Bhise, a hired driver who regularly transported ganja on commission; and Vinayak Baba Saheb Pawar, logistics assistant involved in transport and escort duties.

Pawar was previously arrested in Satara, Maharashtra. Police seized 935.611 kg ganja – 455 packets in 35 HDPE bags, six mobile phones – linked to the criminal network, each with dual IMEIs, a lorry and a car from them.

According to EAGLE, on July 26, the EAGLE unit at RNCC Khammam & Rachakonda Narcotic Police Station received a specific input regarding transportation of bulk ganja in a heavy vehicle escorted by a car. The smuggling convoy was expected to pass through Batasingaram Fruit Market Junction on the Vijayawada National Highway between 2pm and 4pm.

A rapid response team led by RNCC Khammam & Rachakonda Narcotic Police Station deployed surveillance units and technical teams to the location. The target vehicles were successfully intercepted at 3 pm and brought under control. Upon inspection, 35 HDPE bags were found hidden beneath empty plastic fruit trays in the vehicle. These contained 455 packets of ganja, each sealed with a brown tape.

The total weight of the contraband was measured at 935.611 kg, and the entire seizure process was documented with photography and videography by a CLUES Team.

The arrested accused confessed that the operation was orchestrated by Pawar, a repeat NDPS offender from Maharashtra, in coordination with Sachin Gangaram Chouhan (absconding) and Vicky Seth (Odisha-based supplier).

The trio of accused – Pawar Kumar, Samadhan Kantilal Bhise, and Vinayak Baba Saheb Pawar – travelled from Maharashtra to Rajahmundry on July 23 in a rented car. There, they met Sachin, who loaded the ganja consignment into a truck. The convoy set off towards Maharashtra with the car escorting the truck to evade checks.

The ganja was concealed under fruit trays, and the syndicate operated on a credit-based model, financing local suppliers and buyers, maintaining accounts, and ensuring steady distribution channels.

The investigation clearly establishes their role in financing, transporting, and distributing narcotics, invoking Section 27A of the NDPS Act. The case has been registered under the Section 8(c),Section 20(b)(ii)(C) ,Section 27A ,Section 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.