Odisha Police Unveils Dedicated Anti-Narcotics Task Force, Sets Annual Target Against Drug Mafia

Bhubaneswar: Stepping up its crackdown on narcotics and organised drug networks, Odisha Police on Wednesday unveiled a strengthened anti-drug strategy that includes setting up a dedicated Anti Narcotics Task Force (ANTF), operationalising four special NDPS courts and launching focused action against major drug traffickers across the state.

The announcements were made by Director General of Police (DGP) Yogesh Bahadur Khurania during a programme organised at the State Police Headquarters under the National-Level Pre-Trial Drug Destruction Special Drive being conducted from June 26 to July 10 under the directions of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).

Addressing the gathering, Khurania said Odisha Police has placed the fight against illegal narcotics among its top priorities and will intensify operations against drug cultivation, trafficking channels and organised criminal syndicates involved in the trade.

To strengthen enforcement, a state-level Anti Narcotics Task Force led by an officer of Additional Director General of Police rank will soon be activated. The specialised unit will operate through 10 field formations supported by 19 intelligence units to improve coordinated action and intelligence-based operations across Odisha.

In another key move aimed at faster judicial disposal, the government has approved four dedicated courts under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act at Bhubaneswar, Khordha, Angul and Sambalpur.

The DGP said Odisha Police has fixed a yearly target to initiate stringent legal action against at least 100 major drug traffickers while identifying and eliminating narcotics hotspots. Investigative teams have also been directed to trace financial networks and key operators linked to illegal ganja cultivation and trafficking.

Sharing the outcomes of recent enforcement efforts, Khurania said police destroyed more than 63,720 acres of illegal cannabis cultivation between July 2024 and March 2026, with an estimated value of nearly ₹1,911 crore.

During the period, law enforcement agencies registered 2,445 NDPS cases, seized around 421 tonnes of ganja worth approximately ₹2,106 crore and arrested 3,502 accused persons.

Among the major breakthroughs, Koraput Police dismantled a ganja oil production unit and seized nearly 1,800 litres of ganja oil estimated to be worth ₹225 crore, besides recovering ganja valued at around ₹5 crore. Four persons linked to the network were arrested from Kerala. The Special Task Force also busted an inter-state trafficking network operating across parts of Odisha and neighbouring states.

Police officials said enforcement efforts have been complemented by awareness campaigns across communities and educational institutions. Drug-free pledge programmes held at over 550 police stations witnessed participation from more than 25,000 people.

As part of the ongoing national drug destruction campaign, authorities are set to destroy around 80 tonnes of ganja, 11.4 kg of brown sugar and 3,638 bottles of cough syrup valued at about ₹410 crore at designated disposal centres across Odisha. Officials said 36 tonnes of seized ganja have already been destroyed and the remaining narcotics will be disposed of in phases after legal formalities.

The programme was attended by senior police officials, including Additional DGP (Crime Branch) Vinay Tosh Mishra, IG (Crime Branch) Dr Sarthak Sarangi and DIG (STF) Dr Kanwar Vishal Singh.