Odisha Crime Branch’s Special Task Force (STF) has arrested inter-state ganja smuggling mastermind Ratan Mondal from East Medinipur in West Bengal.Mondal, identified as a key receiver of ganja smuggled from Kandhamal, Boudh, and Sonepur districts, had been absconding since January 2025. STF officials confirmed that he was operating a smuggling network while hiding in West Bengal. His name had surfaced in multiple cases where chargesheets were filed, prompting a sustained surveillance operation.Odisha’s forested and hilly regions, particularly Kandhamal and Boudh, are known for ganja cultivation through shifting cultivation methods. The contraband is transported covertly via trucks, tankers, couriers, and trains, often concealed in coal, fish feed, or vegetables. National Highways 26 and 16 serve as major routes for trafficking to states including West Bengal, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Kerala.STF sources revealed that Mondal was a central figure in this network, either directly managing consignments or coordinating their movement. His arrest follows a 25-day operation and marks a significant step in Odisha’s intensified crackdown on narcotics.An STF ACP stated that the operation is part of a larger campaign to dismantle ganja smuggling networks across the state. Mondal will now face trial and imprisonment, reinforcing Odisha’s commitment to curbing drug trafficking.
Odisha STF arrests inter-state ganja smuggling kingpin Ratan Mondal after 25-day operation
