Photograph of marijuana seized by Telangana’s Elite Action Group for Drug Lae Enforcement (EAGLE)
| Photo Credit: By Arrangement
In one of the largest drug hauls of the year [2025] so far, Telangana’s Elite Action Group for Drug Law Enforcement (EAGLE) team has seized 935.6 kilograms of marijuana during an interstate operation. The consignment, valued at around ₹5 crore, was intercepted near the Batasingaram Fruit Market Junction on the Vijayawada National Highway on Saturday (July 26, 2025), while being transported from Rajahmundry in Andhra Pradesh to Maharashtra., said the director of EAGLE, Sandeep Shandilya.
Based on specific intelligence received by the EAGLE unit at RNCC Khammam and the Rachakonda Narcotic Police Station, officers identified and stopped a truck around 3.05 p.m. The vehicle was found to be escorted by an SUV.
Upon inspection, police discovered 35 high-density polyethylene (HDPE) bags hidden beneath plastic fruit trays in the truck. “These bags contained 455 sealed packets of marijuana. The total weight of the seized narcotic was 935.611 kilograms,” said the director.
Three individuals were arrested at the scene. Pawar Kumar Badu — identified as the main accused and financier — is a known repeat offender previously arrested in a 2020 NDPS case in Satara, Maharashtra. He was accompanied by Samadhan Kantilal Bhise, who was engaged as the driver, and Vinayak Baba Saheb Pawar, who assisted in logistics and escort.
The trio had travelled from Maharashtra to Rajahmundry on July 23 in a rented SUV. At Rajahmundry, they met a supplier named Sachin, who is currently absconding. The marijuana was loaded into the truck and the group started their trip with the SUV as an escort to bypass law enforcement checks.
“The operation was being run on a credit basis, with the accused financing both suppliers and buyers. They also maintained accounts and coordinated transportation, distribution, and concealment of the drugs,” explained the officer.
Phone number to report drug-related activity
The agency has urged the public to report any suspicious drug-related activity by calling the toll-free helpline number 1908. The identities of informants will be kept confidential.
Published – July 28, 2025 12:37 pm IST
