Telangana’s Excise and Prohibition Department has reported record seizures during the four-year period between 2021 and 2025. The department registered 4,194 NDPS cases, arrested 7,131 accused persons and seized 24,236 kilograms of ganja between 2021 and 2025. Officers also uprooted 21,035 cannabis plants, confiscated 1,824 vehicles and recovered a range of synthetic drugs, including 2.8 kilograms of MDMA, 689 LSD blots, 46.47 kilograms of hash oil, 383 grams of cocaine, 701.3 grams of heroin and 227.6 grams of opium.
As per the information shared by the department, the conviction rate stands at 3.23%, with 2,659 NDPS cases still pending across courts. Since the formation of Telangana, 71 convictions have been recorded in excise-booked cases, with sentencing accelerating in recent years — 16 cases in 2023, 11 in 2024 and a record 22 cases in 2025. Officials note that this conviction rate remains higher than the 2.29% recorded by the police department.
Excise Enforcement officials said that the rise in convictions is beginning to generate deterrence among drug offenders. They attribute the improvement to greater procedural discipline in filing charge sheets, preparing panchanamas and recording statements, which they say has strengthened cases during trial. The heightened crackdown follows instructions issued by Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to make Hyderabad drug-free and to curb ganja and narcotics use across Telangana. Acting on these directives, Prohibition and Excise Commissioner C. Harikiran and Enforcement Director Shahnawaz Qasim have intensified raids targeting ganja networks, synthetic drugs and non-duty-paid liquor.
Mr. Qasim said recent convictions signal a positive shift in the fight against narcotics. “Only when a crime is punished does it create fear in everyone to commit a crime. It is a good development that the accused in excise cases are being punished in recent times. We will take steps to ensure that the Excise Department machinery works more effectively on marijuana and drugs,” he said.
Published – December 04, 2025 06:57 pm IST
