Major Drug Bust in Kanpur: ₹10 Crore Cannabis Shipment Seized After Highway Chase
In a high-intensity anti-narcotics operation, the Kanpur police successfully intercepted a massive interstate drug smuggling attempt on GT Road, seizing over 600 kilograms of high-quality cannabis (ganja). The recovered narcotics hold an estimated international black-market valuation of approximately ₹10 crore. Executed jointly by the Kanpur Crime Branch and the Rawatpur police, the breakthrough was achieved under the city’s ongoing anti-drug initiative, “Operation White Powder.”
The 15-Kilometer High-Speed Chase
The interception unfolded dramatically following strategic tracking by law enforcement:
- Intelligence Tip-Off: Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations) Sumit Sudhakar Ramteke stated that the breakthrough followed rigorous technical surveillance and analysis of call detail records (CDRs) associated with previous drug trafficking cases. Authorities received a concrete tip-off regarding a heavy commercial truck moving illicit contraband through the city.
- The Pursuit: Police units laid a tactical trap near Panki on Monday night. Upon spotting the target truck, officers attempted to signal it to pull over. Recognizing the police presence, the truck driver ignored the commands and aggressively accelerated to escape.
- Barricade Interception: This triggered a high-voltage, 15-kilometer highway chase along GT Road. Law enforcement teams tailed the fleeing vehicle closely while coordinating with dispatch units to erect heavy roadblocks further down the route, eventually trapping and halting the truck near Gurdev Palace.
Origin, Syndicate, and Subsequent Arrests
A thorough physical search of the container truck exposed a large volume of cannabis tightly packed into customized boxes and parcels of varying weights.
Arrest and Supply Chain: The police arrested the driver, identified as 30-year-old Liyaqat Ali, a resident of Haryana. During preliminary interrogation, Ali confessed that the massive consignment had originated from Odisha. The syndicate’s plan was to transit through Kanpur and use the Agra route to distribute the contraband across major northern metropolitan hubs, including Delhi, Noida, Mumbai, and parts of Haryana.
The arrested smuggler has revealed the identities of three key associates—Jamshed, Javed, and Junaid—who are suspected of managing the logistics of this interstate syndicate. Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime and Headquarters) Sankalp Sharma noted that Kanpur police have intensified their drug crackdowns, having arrested nearly 100 traffickers over recent months. Raids are actively underway to capture the remaining suspects and completely dismantle the network’s financial and digital linkages.
