DRI seizes about 740 kg of cannabis in eight operations; 13 held

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

New Delhi, Sep 9 (IANS) The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence conducted eight major operations across the country in the last fortnight and seized around 740 kg of cannabis and charas and arrested 13 people, an official statement said on Wednesday.

The seizures included 709.6 kg cannabis (ganja), 24.5 kg high‑grade hydroponic cannabis and 5 kg charas, the statement from the Ministry of Finance said.

After receiving inputs, officers of DRI intercepted two trucks coming from Vishakhapatnam at Old Dhamtari Road near Raipur, leading to a recovery of 61 packets, concealed in 10 sacks kept in the loading areas of the trucks.

A total of 375.95 kg cannabis, along with the two trucks, was seized under the NDPS Act, 1985, and four persons were arrested.

Acting on specific intelligence during September 5–6, DRI intercepted a truck on the Aurangabad–Patna Highway near Patna, upon which officers were attacked and one was injured while the driver escaped, the statement noted. A search revealed 90 packets confirmed as ganja, and 140.5 kg and the vehicle was seized.

Earlier, on August 26, 2026, officers seized about 124 kg of cannabis concealed in a truck near Raipur and arrested one person.

On September 3, 2026, DRI intercepted three persons travelling in the general compartment of Amarnath Express train at Gorakhpur Railway Station. Personal search resulted in the recovery of around 5 kg charas (hashish), concealed by two of the passengers in knee-cap-like coverings wrapped around their thighs and hidden inside their sarees.

Investigations indicated that the charas had been smuggled from Nepal. The recovered charas or hashish was seized and all three persons were arrested under the NDPS Act, 1985.

Further, 3 passengers, arriving from Hanoi, Vietnam and Bangkok, Thailand at Hyderabad and Bengaluru airports were held in the last 15 days, collectively resulting in the seizure of approximately 24.6 kg high potency cannabis.

—IANS

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However, the circulation of an archival photo of the satellite, presented as an “after-launch” picture, dented the public mood with many questioning the sanctity and success of the satellite launch.

The satellite, called PRSC-EO3, lifted off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre in northern China and rode into the orbit aboard a Chinese Long March-6 rocket on April 25.

The satellite carried high-resolution imaging capability.

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According to a report in Eurasia Review, the image was widely shared on Pakistani social media after the launch and it was presented as EO-3’s first captured photograph — showcasing satellite’s inaugural transmission from orbit.

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The photo stoked national pride and whipped up public sentiments but in absence of any official acknowledgement, the photo only created confusion and doubts, eventually faded through the social media.

Taking note of controversy, the report highlights Pakistan’s duplicity saying, “The juxtaposition — real satellite, fake photo — is not accidental. It reflects something structural about how Pakistan’s information environment operates, particularly around moments of genuine achievement that are not considered sufficient on their own terms.”

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The report points to Pakistan’s penchant for pushing false rhetoric and propaganda by manipulating details and images.

In one incriminating incident, one piece of footage circulated as evidence of destruction on Indian side was traced to an army simulation video game.

The report further states, “Pakistan has a documented history in this domain. Paksat-1 was acquired in 2002 — the satellite itself had been in orbit since 1996, originally launched as Palapa-C1 for Indonesia. When former Presidentr General Pervez Musharraf promoted it as evidence that Pakistan had surpassed India in space technology, the indigenous capability claim was false.”

“The satellite was third-hand — originally bought by Indonesia, later sold to Turkey, and then hurriedly purchased by Pakistan to occupy its only remaining orbital slot,” it added.

The EO-3 is placed in its orbit and will perform its work as specified over the next few days.

But, what stands exposed is Pakistan’s dubious and fake information drive.

The image which else could have symbolised its cosmic prowess, instead went to create doubts over its overrated claims.

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The accused, identified as Ashish, Satish @ Jimmy, and Md Firoz, were apprehended on April 19, 2025, after a coordinated operation by the PP Turkman Gate police team. The police recovered a substantial cache of forged documents during the raid. The cache seized included 121 Aadhaar cards, 73 fake PAN cards, 181 voter ID cards, and several counterfeit educational mark sheets.

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