Ganja worth Rs 6.5 crore destroyed

Prayagraj: Under ‘Operation Dahan’, around 13 quintals (1,300 kg) of ganja (cannabis)—valued at worth 6.50 crore—were destroyed at a brick kiln by a joint team of Handia police and Narcotics task force in the presence of a high-level committee.Officials said that a special campaign against narcotics, titled ‘Operation Dahan’, is being conducted under the direction of the Director General of Police, UP. Handia police had seized large quantity of cannabis and arrested the accused involved. In this connection, a case was registered at Handia Police Station under Sections 8/20/29 of the NDPS Act. The seized narcotic substance was sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for testing in accordance with legal procedures. The test results confirmed that the seized material was an illicit NDPS substance (cannabis). Having completed a thorough investigation into the case, the Handia Police submitted the charge sheet to the court concerned on July 21, 2025.To ensure the complete disposal of the large quantity of seized illicit narcotics, the Prayagraj Police Commissionerate completed the necessary legal proceedings under section 52A of the NDPS Act before the court.Following court’s orders and as part of the subsequent procedure, formal permission for destruction was obtained from the Director General of Police (DGP), Uttar Pradesh, and the Inspector General of Police, Anti-Narcotics Task Force (IGNTF). The Narcotics Task Force (Crime Branch) team of the Prayagraj Police Commissionerate played a pivotal role in successfully executing this large-scale destruction operation.A high-level committee was constituted by the Police Commissioner to ensure strict adherence to the updated provisions and guidelines of the NDPS Act throughout the entire process. Under the committee’s close supervision and in its presence, the operation commenced on June 4, 2026. After three hours of intensive effort, the entire consignment of 13 quintals of cannabis was transported—under a heavy security cordon—to a brick kiln recognized by the Air Pollution Control Board, where it was incinerated (completely destroyed by burning) in the kiln.