The Tamil Nadu Police have stepped-up surveillance on six major trains originating from eastern and north-eastern States “to curb the smuggling of ganja.”
Amid specific intelligence of the contraband being smuggled into the State from West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Tripura, and the Andhra-Odisha border, special teams of the Enforcement Bureau CID mounted vigil on long-distance trains. Surprise checks would be conducted in trains bound for Chennai or other destinations in the State, police sources said.
The initiative is part of the comprehensive, multi-pronged strategy devised by the Tamil Nadu government to systematically eliminate drug trafficking and substance abuse across the State. By combining aggressive enforcement, asset freezing of suspects, institutional upgrades, and community-driven demand reduction, the State had achieved record contraband interdictions in the first half of 2026.
In July so far, 1,020 drug-related cases have been booked, resulting in the arrest of 1,270 people and recovery of 1,034 kg of ganja, 4.5 kg of other drugs, and 4,579 narcotic tablets, the sources said. Acting on the instructions of the Director-General of Police and Head of the Police Force, Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal, 3,950 drug hotspots were placed under strict surveillance and 2,850 suspected operatives were checked.
Steps were taken to review cases, identify suppliers, receivers, financiers, and drug trafficking networks. As a preventive measure, 472 drug offenders were detained under the Goondas Act in the current year, the sources said.
Published – July 14, 2026 11:40 pm IST
