Jeypore: Two policemen were seriously injured when their motorcycles crashed during a high-speed pursuit of suspected ganja smugglers in Ramgiri area under Boipariguda police limits in Odisha’s Koraput district.
According to sources, Ramgiri outpost ASI Bishnu Madkami and driver Dambaru Chalan.
According to sources, Ramgiri outpost ASI Bishnu Madkami and driver Dambaru Chalan set out on separate motorcycles following a tip off that three persons were transporting ganja on a motorcycle. The chase, however, ended around 11 km from the outpost, near Dhalapur Nursery, when both motorcycles met with an accident on a sharp curve and the policemen were thrown onto the road. The smugglers escaped amid the chaos following the accident.
On being informed, Boipariguda police arranged for the injured officers to be transported by ambulance to the Community Health Centre (CHC) for initial treatment. Due to the severity of their condition, doctors later referred them to Saheed Laxman Nayak (SLN) Medical College and Hospital in Koraput for advanced care.
This came a day after six persons, including the mastermind of the inter-state narcotics syndicate, were arrested in connection with the Rs 225 crore hashish oil manufacturing network on a remote island inside Jolaput reservoir. Allen Jayaraj (33) of Thiruvananthapuram was identified as the kingpin who oversaw the chemical extraction process, coordinated the interstate syndicate, and acted as the main “cook” for producing the concentrated narcotic from bulk cannabis. Other arrested were Kiran D (33), Anand Raj (28), and Bittu B (34) from Kerala, as well as local facilitators Lalchan Khilla (25) from Malkangiri and Sadhu Pangi (45) from Koraput.
Acting on specific intelligence, a tactical team used boats to reach the isolated island before trekking through dense forest on February 26. They found a makeshift but advanced setup equipped with a 28 KV generator, customised pressure cookers modified with metal pipes and connectors, storage drums, and around 80 litres of cleaning solvents, indicating large-scale commercial production of hashish oil, concealed deep inside dense forest along the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border. One suspect was caught at the site initially, but the others fled into the rugged terrain. Police launched a sustained cordon-and-search effort, sealing ferry points, conducting intensive grid searches and combing operations, and deploying drones for aerial surveillance. All six were apprehended from various locations on the island within about 30 hours.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the unit was established only about 15 days ago, with Kerala-based members handling production and distribution while locals sourced raw materials. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to probe into the illegal hashish oil trade racket, including forensic analysis, financial tracing, and coordination with other states to uncover funding sources and broader linkages.
