From hawkers to high-stake smugglers: Chhattisgarh police bust ganja network of ‘cloth vendor’

RAIPUR: They rode in like harmless cloth sellers, bikes stacked with colourful garments, the picture of everyday roadside commerce. Posing as roadside cloth sellers, a network of inter-state ganja traffickers stitched together one of the craftiest smuggling covers yet — hiding contraband behind heaps of clothes on motorcycles. But a coordinated crackdown under “operation nishchay” tore through the façade, leading to the seizure of over 378 kg of ganja worth nearly ₹1.9 crore across three districts in Chhattisgarh. In a multi-district operation spanning Mahasamund, Dhamtari and Gariyaband — all bordering Odisha — Raipur range police intercepted the syndicate that was transporting cannabis from Odisha’s Baliguda and Titiri-Rayagada regions to Madhya Pradesh.Raipur range IG Amresh Mishra said that the accused had modified their motorcycles with specially designed iron compartments fitted behind the rear seats, cleverly concealed under piles of clothes to appear like mobile street vendors. “From outside, they looked like ordinary hawkers. Inside, they were running a drug supply chain,” he said."The operation, based on technical inputs and precise intelligence, led to the arrest of 12 inter-state traffickers and seizure of 11 vehicles along with contraband and equipment. The total value of seized property is estimated at ₹1.98 crore," IG Mishra said in a statement.In Mahasamund alone, police busted a major module, recovering over 215 kg of ganja and arresting five accused who were moving in a convoy of motorcycles. In a related case, another 23 kg was seized, while a separate naka check led to the recovery of nearly 10 kg more.Dhamtari police, acting on similar inputs, intercepted another group using the same ‘cloth vendor’ disguise, seizing 131 kg of ganja and arresting two accused, along with a minor in conflict with law. IG said the gang was part of a larger network experimenting with new smuggling techniques to evade detection. “Earlier, traffickers used ambulances, fruit consignments, transport companies and even public transport. This time, they turned into hawkers. But every new trick is being tracked and neutralised,” he added.Police said intensified naka checking at inter-state borders and intelligence-based operations have been key to cracking such networks. Further investigation is underway to trace backward and forward linkages of the racket.