From ganja and codeine-based cough syrup to smack and synthetic drugs, a series of major seizures this year in Prayagraj highlighted the city’s evolving role in the interstate narcotics trade.
While officials have long identified the district as a convenient transit point for traffickers moving pharmaceutical and illegal drugs between states, largely due to its strategic location along major highways and extensive rail connectivity, recent developments suggest a more concerning shift. The discovery of a clandestine manufacturing unit in September has raised alarms that Prayagraj is moving beyond being a transit route and could be emerging as a base for synthetic drug production.
According to additional commissioner of police (ACP) Ajay Pal Sharma, Prayagraj’s geographical position makes it highly attractive to interstate drug networks.
“The district is connected by major road corridors with eastern, central, and western India, while its busy railway network provides connectivity to several parts of the country,” Sharma explained. “Investigations into recent cases have indicated narcotics arriving from states including Odisha and Jharkhand, while the synthetic drug racket allegedly involved the movement of raw materials from Gujarat and distribution towards Maharashtra and other markets. We are interrogating smugglers and charting the cartel’s movement patterns. Accordingly, authorities in the states of origin and states proving a market for these drugs will be contacted to tighten the noose around such cartels.”
Enforcement agencies, including the Special Task Force (STF), local police and railway authorities, have made several significant seizures throughout the year:
{{/usCountry}}Enforcement agencies, including the Special Task Force (STF), local police and railway authorities, have made several significant seizures throughout the year:
{{/usCountry}}On June 25, a joint team of the Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF) arrested an alleged smuggler at Cheoki railway station and recovered 477 bottles of banned codeine-based cough syrup.
On June 26, the STF seized nearly 439kg of ganja from a mini-truck. The consignment, estimated at ₹1.10 crore, was allegedly being transported from Odisha to northern states via Prayagraj.
Again on September 6, industrial area police arrested two ganja smugglers during a routine check, recovering 1.024kg of cannabis.
On September 19, the STF arrested another smuggler and recovered 198kg of ganja (estimated at ₹50 lakh), which had been concealed beneath a load of coal in a truck destined for northern markets.
Following that on September 27, the STF raided a rented house in Katahula Gauspur, under the Airport police station limits, and arrested three individuals—Ashutosh Tiwari, Ankesh Kumar, and Amit Prajapati. Authorities recovered 19,338 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup and 61,600 generic drug tablets, with an estimated value of ₹1 crore.
The most significant development occurred on September 3, when the Maharashtra Police Crime Branch (Mira-Bhayandar, Vasai-Virar) busted a clandestine synthetic drug manufacturing unit at Kosada Kala in the Manda area of Prayagraj.
The raid led to the seizure of roughly 69.75kg of mephedrone (MD), along with 260 liters of chemicals and laboratory equipment, valued at approximately ₹139.5 crore. The facility, disguised as a flower nursery, was operated from a tin-roofed structure on rented agricultural land.
Police investigations revealed that the unit had been operating for roughly seven months, during which time nearly 300kg of MD had already been manufactured and distributed to major markets. The operation uncovered a complex interstate cartel involving 21 arrests across Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh.
In response to the growing trade, authorities have intensified their crackdown. Under the ongoing “Operation Dahan,” seized narcotics are being destroyed regularly following court approval and established legal procedures. An official report confirmed that approximately 1,767kg of seized narcotic substances have been destroyed in Prayagraj this year alone.