New Delhi/Bhubaneswar: Feb 11 (PTI) Drug law enforcement agencies have seized nearly 39 lakh kg of cannabis based drugs across India since 2020, with Odisha alone accounting for more than 27 per cent of the total recoveries, according to government data presented in Parliament.
Cannabis based drugs include ganja, hashish and hashish oil.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha last week that 38.89 lakh kg of cannabis based drugs were seized between 2020 and November 2025.
The figure was 5.88 lakh kg in 2020, peaking at 8.16 lakh kg in 2021. This was followed by a consistent three-year decline with recoveries of 7.22 lakh kg in 2022, 6.32 lakh kg in 2023 and 5.4 lakh kg in 2024. The trend reversed in 2025 with recoveries rising to 5.89 lakh kg.
Odisha topped the list of states with the most seizures by a significant margin. The cumulative recoveries over the six-year period were 10.65 lakh kg and the state consistently maintained a lead on the annual charts, according to the government.
The data also points to shifts in trafficking patterns across the country.
Rajasthan, for instance, reported a sharp spike in seizures over the period. From recording 14,826 kg in 2020, the state saw recoveries jump to 58,146 kg in 2025, indicating a growing challenge in the region. West Bengal also saw a rise in seizures, increasing from 25,979 kg in 2020 to 32,456 kg in 2025.
In contrast, seizures in some traditional hotspots dropped.
Andhra Pradesh, which recorded the second-highest cumulative total of 5.5 lakh kg over six years, saw annual seizures drop significantly from a peak of over 2.01 lakh kg in 2021 to 44,182 kg in 2025.
Chhattisgarh and Karnataka recorded similar sharp declines. Recoveries in Chhattisgarh more than halved from 36,211 kg in 2020 to 15,235 kg in 2025, while they decreased from 21,657 kg to 6,746 kg over the same period in Karnataka.
The data also shows significant recoveries in the Northeast. The small border state of Tripura recorded a cumulative seizure of 2.46 lakh kg across six years, placing it fourth on the national tally, just behind the much larger state of Uttar Pradesh (2.47 lakh kg). Assam accounted for nearly 1.94 lakh kg during the same period.
Detailing the government’s countermeasures, Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said the government deployed advanced technologies, including a grid that integrates AI-based features, radars and motion detectors, and standardised the use of drones along the border to track trafficking routes.
The Centre also informed Parliament that border guarding forces (BSF, Assam Rifles and SSB) have been empowered under the NDPS Act to carry out searches and seizures. Additionally, international cooperation with neighbouring countries and global agencies has been strengthened to dismantle transnational drug syndicates.
