In one of the largest crackdowns on illegal drug trade in Rajasthan, authorities have destroyed over 50 bighas of cannabis plantations and seized more than 8,000 plants in Udaipur district. The operation, conducted by the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) in coordination with the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), targeted large-scale illegal cultivation in the tribal areas of the district.

IG ATS Vikas Kumar, who oversaw the operation, stated that multiple teams conducted simultaneous raids across identified locations where cannabis cultivation had been thriving for several years. The traffickers were reportedly using the remote tribal regions as a base to grow cannabis, which was then supplied across western and southern Rajasthan, northern Gujarat, and Punjab. The seized plants were reportedly intended for distribution ahead of the upcoming New Year celebrations, but the coordinated action foiled these plans.

Authorities have been investigating the source of the increasing cannabis supply in Rajasthan for the past three months. Earlier seizures in the state were believed to have originated from northeastern and southern states like Manipur, Telangana, and Odisha. However, officials suspected local cultivation due to the volume of supply and launched a covert operation to trace its origin.

To gather intelligence, ANTF teams disguised themselves as government officials from various departments, including agriculture, power, and irrigation. They surveyed the areas under different pretexts, such as soil testing, water pipeline work, and crop assessment. This intelligence was later consolidated to devise a strategic plan for the raids.

Maintaining strict secrecy, the teams traveled from Jaipur disguised as devotees participating in the ‘Ambe Mata Shobha Yatra.’ They stayed overnight at Pindwara, where locals assumed they were pilgrims. Before traffickers could destroy the crops, raids were launched the following morning on the farms identified through intelligence gathering.

Over 100 police personnel participated in the operation, distributed across four ANTF units, six additional squads, and three NCB teams. The task force uprooted cannabis plants spread across approximately 50 bighas of land. The seized crop was of high quality, as cannabis typically takes three to four months to mature, and was expected to fetch significant revenue for the traffickers.

IG Kumar emphasized that the operation was not only about destroying illegal plantations but also preventing the drug from reaching young consumers in Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Punjab. He noted that the large-scale cultivation suggested possible collusion among local contractors, intermediaries, and residents, and further investigations are underway to determine the network and the flow of the drugs.

Authorities are also probing whether the seized cannabis was being processed locally for consumption or sent outside the state to produce hashish. The operation highlights the continued efforts of law enforcement agencies in Rajasthan to disrupt organized drug networks and curb the illegal cannabis trade.

The successful raids send a strong message against drug trafficking in the region, reinforcing the government’s stance on preventing the spread of narcotics among youth and dismantling large-scale illicit operations that exploit vulnerable tribal areas for cultivation.