Mobile Hashish Oil Unit Busted in Malkangiri, Materials Worth ₹100 Crore Seized

Malkangiri: In a major crackdown on narcotics operations, Malkangiri police have dismantled a mobile hashish oil manufacturing unit in the Chitrakonda area and seized precursor materials and equipment estimated to be worth around ₹100 crore.

Acting on specific intelligence inputs, police had been tracking the activities of a suspected smuggling syndicate for several days. The group was reportedly operating a mobile setup, frequently shifting locations to evade continuous raids and heightened surveillance in the region.

The breakthrough came early Sunday morning when a police team led by Chitrakonda SDPO Pradosh Pradhan intercepted a suspicious vehicle near Essar Chhak under Chitrakonda police limits on the road towards Sileru. The operation was carried out under the supervision of the Superintendent of Police, Malkangiri.

During the search, officials recovered around 800 litres of chemical precursors and solvents capable of producing an equal quantity of highly potent hashish oil, with an estimated market value of nearly ₹100 crore. Additionally, 50 kg of ganja and 2 litres of finished hashish oil were seized from the vehicle.

Police also confiscated a fully functional mobile manufacturing unit equipped with specialised extraction machinery. The vehicle used for transportation, bearing an Andhra Pradesh registration, was found with a fake number plate and has been impounded.

However, the driver managed to escape into the nearby dense forest, taking advantage of the terrain.

Preliminary investigation suggests that the syndicate was attempting to establish a hashish oil production unit in the Chitrakonda region but was forced to relocate frequently due to sustained police pressure. Efforts are underway to identify and apprehend those involved, while further investigation continues.