Chatra district police seized 164 kg of ganja valued at around Rs 1 crore after suspected interstate smugglers abandoned their car and fled during an anti-crime checking drive on the Chatra-Jori road on Wednesday, police said. The consignment was allegedly being transported to Bihar.
The seizure took place near Dadha More during checking conducted under Operation Clean. According to SDPO Sunny Vardhan, the operation was launched on the instructions of Chatra superintendent of police Animesh Naithany after police received information about a large narcotics consignment entering the district.
Police said a team signalled a speeding car to stop during the checking drive. The driver allegedly attempted to evade the police and fled, leaving the vehicle behind. Officers subsequently searched the car and recovered 82 packets containing the suspected contraband.
The vehicle was seized as part of the investigation. Police said the people involved in transporting the consignment, as well as the vehicle owner, have been identified. The report did not specify whether any arrests had been made by the time of the police briefing.
The seizure places the alleged movement of the consignment along the Chatra-Jori road at the centre of the investigation. The route connects Chatra with areas leading towards Bihar, and police said the seized vehicle was allegedly being used to transport the ganja to the neighbouring state. No further details about the suspected origin of the consignment or its intended destination in Bihar were provided.
The operation also highlights the role of road-based checking in intercepting suspected narcotics movement through district routes. In this case, police action followed a tip-off and a vehicle check, but the suspected smugglers escaped before the seizure was completed. The seized car and the identified vehicle owner are expected to form part of the evidence being examined by investigators.
Police have not disclosed the names of the identified suspects, the registration details of the vehicle or the next legal steps in the case. Further action will depend on the investigation into the seized consignment, the vehicle and the persons identified by the police.
