New Delhi: In a breakthrough in its ongoing anti-drug campaign, the Anti-Narcotics Squad (ANS) of Delhi Police’s East District Saturday dismantled an interstate narcotics supply chain and arrested a key Odisha-based supplier allegedly involved in trafficking ganja to Delhi-NCR. Police recovered nearly 22.5 kg of ganja, classified a commercial quantity under the NDPS Act, and seized a car allegedly used to transport the contraband.
The operation was carried out as part of Delhi Police’s zero-tolerance policy against drugs and its broader campaign to curb substance abuse and create a drug-free society.
According to police, a special drive against narcotics trafficking is currently underway in East District to identify and apprehend drug suppliers and their sources. A dedicated team of the Anti-Narcotics Squad, comprising Inspector Arun Kumar, SI Vikas, SI Devendra, ASI Amit, ASI Arun, HC Vivek, HC Pradeep Sharma, HC Amit Kasana, HC Vikrant, HC Lakhan and HC Harender, was constituted under the leadership of ACP Pawan Kumar, ACP/OPS East, and under the supervision of senior officers.
As part of the operation, the team intensified Intelligence gathering through local informers and human Intelligence networks.
On June 3, the Anti-Narcotics Squad received specific information that a person identified as Sonu Kumar, allegedly involved in supplying ganja in Delhi and adjoining areas, would arrive near the back road of the Competent Maruti Showroom, close to Talco T-Point in Ghazipur, Delhi, in a car. He was reportedly carrying a large consignment of ganja intended for distribution.
Acting swiftly on the information, the police team laid a trap at the designated location and intercepted the vehicle. Sonu Kumar, a resident of Village Morti in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, was found inside the car.
During a search of the vehicle, police recovered two bags containing 22.5 kg of ganja. A case was subsequently registered under FIR No. 197/2026 under Sections 20 and 25 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act at Police Station PIA, Delhi. The accused was arrested, and further investigation was initiated to identify and apprehend the main source of supply.
During interrogation, Sonu Kumar allegedly disclosed that he procured the narcotic substance from Deba Mandi, a resident of Malkangiri district in Odisha, located near the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border. According to investigators, Sonu would receive ganja in bulk and further distribute it in smaller quantities across Delhi-NCR.
Police officials said it became evident during the investigation that the supply chain could not be effectively disrupted without apprehending the primary source. Consequently, the Anti-Narcotics Squad launched an extensive operation to trace Deba Mandi.
Investigators found that following Sonu’s arrest, Deba Mandi had switched off all his mobile phones and gone into hiding. His residence was located in a remote forested area of Malkangiri district, making the operation particularly challenging. The police team conducted sustained technical surveillance and carried out multiple raids across different districts of Odisha while continuously monitoring his movements.
On June 17, acting on fresh Intelligence inputs, the team tracked the accused near the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border. Following a brief chase across different locations, police successfully apprehended him. After obtaining transit remand, the accused was brought to Delhi June 20 and formally arrested in the case.
Police said Deba Mandi is currently being interrogated to identify other members of the narcotics network and establish forward and backward linkages in the supply chain. Further investigation is underway to dismantle the entire interstate drug syndicate.
During interrogation, Deba Mandi allegedly revealed that his village is located in a dense forest region where ganja grows naturally on hilly terrain. He claimed that due to the remoteness of the area and the lack of proper road connectivity, enforcement agencies found it difficult to conduct regular monitoring. Seeing a lucrative illegal market for ganja, he allegedly began cultivating and packaging the substance before supplying it to buyers in different states, including Delhi.
Police further revealed that Deba Mandi had previously been arrested in 2018 in FIR No. 245/18 under Sections 20 and 29 of the NDPS Act at Kotwali Shahdol Police Station in Madhya Pradesh and had served a three-year prison sentence. After his release in 2022, he initially worked as a labourer but later returned to the illegal narcotics trade. About a year ago, he allegedly came into contact with Sonu Kumar and started supplying ganja to him in bulk quantities.
Investigators believe the accused were operating as part of an organised interstate drug trafficking network motivated primarily by financial gain.
The total recovery in the case includes 22.5 kg of ganja, estimated to be worth approximately Rs 10 lakh in the illicit market, and a car allegedly used for transporting the narcotic substance.
