A night-long pursuit through the forests of Odisha ended with the seizure of 500 kg of marijuana after Telangana’s anti-narcotics unit, EAGLE, intercepted a vehicle suspected of transporting the contraband towards supply networks linked to the State.

Acting on specific intelligence, a patrol team led by Sub-Inspector of Police K. Ravi Prasad, picked up the trail of a Bolero vehicle near Odisha’s Balimela, on the intervening night of June 17 and June 18. What followed was an 80-km chase through remote and hilly terrain stretching towards Jeypore.

After tracking the vehicle for nearly 80 km, the team managed to corner it deep inside a forest area. However, under the cover of darkness and taking advantage of poor visibility in the rugged terrain, the driver escaped before he could be apprehended, said an officer involved in the bust.

A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of 115 packets of marijuana weighing about 500 kg. The seizure comprised 90 packets weighing 5 kg each and 25 packets weighing 2 kg each. The worth of the seized items, including the vehicle, is ₹2.3 crore.

The seized contraband and vehicle were handed over to Koraput police in Odisha during the early hours of June 18 for registration of a case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and further investigation.

“EAGLE Force maintains a presence in source regions known for supplying marijuana to Telangana and regularly conducts operations aimed at disrupting trafficking routes before the contraband reaches the State,” said the Director of EAGLE, Sandeep Shandilya.

Vehicle registration records showed that the Bolero is registered in the name of Amir Alli Khan, a resident of Gandhi Nagar in Nuasahi, Nabarangapur district of Odisha.

Officials described the operation as high-risk because of the dense forest cover, difficult terrain and the prolonged pursuit through remote areas. The team received appreciation from Odisha police for successfully intercepting the consignment.

The seizure mirrors a similar operation carried out by EAGLE Force in 2024, when personnel tracked suspected traffickers up to Ranchi and seized another 500 kg of marijuana. That case was later handed over to the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) for investigation.