NCB busts international hashish oil trafficking network; 5 arrested with 4 kg contraband in Visakhapatnam

NEW DELHI: In a significant operation against inter-state drug trafficking, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Visakhapatnam Zonal Unit has dismantled a hashish oil trafficking network during an operation conducted on Tuesday night.

Acting on credible intelligence, a team of NCB officers, with the assistance of the Railway Protection Force (RPF), mounted a targeted operation at Duvvada Railway Station. This resulted in the interception of five individuals, including one woman, and the seizure of 4 kilograms of hashish oil.


Following examination, all five persons were arrested under relevant provisions of the NDPS Act. The arrested individuals include two persons from Thrissur district, Kerala, who were the intended receivers and arrived in Paderu to coordinate with the supplier. The supplier, a resident of Srikakulam district, was also apprehended.

The remaining two individuals, including a woman, were employed as carriers and were tasked with transporting the contraband to Kerala for delivery to the receivers. "These carriers were given money by the receivers to carry contraband to Kerala. The receivers did not carry contraband themselves out of fear of getting caught in possession of the contraband. All these five persons travelled from Paderu to Duvvada by bus," a senior NCB official said.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the supplier, as well as both receivers, were previously involved in NDPS-related cases. Further investigation is in progress to identify and apprehend other members linked to the trafficking network.

"This preventive action highlights the NCB’s unwavering commitment to dismantling organised drug trafficking syndicates operating across state boundaries. The Bureau continues to intensify efforts to curb the menace of narcotics and safeguard society from drug abuse," the officer added.

NCB has appealed to the public to actively support the fight against drug trafficking. Any information related to narcotics can be shared through MANAS – National Narcotics Helpline Toll-Free Number: 1933. The identity of informers is strictly kept confidential.

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