Malkangiri: Intensifying the crackdown on illegal drug network, police busted a mobile hashish oil manufacturing unit in Chitrakonda area of Odisha’s Malkangiri district and seized materials worth around Rs 100 crore.
Acting on intelligence inputs, police had been tracking the movement of a suspected hashish oil manufacturing unit suspected to be operating in the region. Following enhanced surveillance and raids, the racketeers shifted their unit frequently to evade detection.
Police said the breakthrough came in the early hours of Sunday when a team led by SDPO Chitrakonda Pradosh Pradhan intercepted a vehicle near Essar Chhak on the road leading to Sileru area. The operation was carried out under the supervision of the Malkangiri Superintendent of Police.
The police team recovered over 800 litres of chemical precursors and solvents that could have been used to produce an equal quantity of highly potent hashish oil. The estimated market value of the seized materials was put at approximately Rs 100 crore, officials said.
This apart, 50 kg of ganja and 2 litres of hashish oil were seized from the vehicle. A fully functional mobile manufacturing unit, including specialised extraction equipment, was also recovered.
Police seized the vehicle used for transporting the materials. However, the driver of the vehicle escaped into a nearby forest.
Preliminary investigation suggests that a smuggling syndicate was planning to establish a hashish oil manufacturing unit in the Chitrakonda area but was unable to do so due to sustained police pressure.
The district police have formed multiple specialised teams to track down the absconding driver and identify other members of the syndicate. Efforts are also underway to verify the vehicle’s details and to investigate interstate links, including the source of raw materials and the intended destination of the contraband.
