Bengaluru Railway Stations See Spike in Ganja Seizures
Railway police across Bengaluru are sounding the alarm: there is a clear surge in ganja trafficking via passenger trains arriving from East India. According to a report by the Indian Express, 23 of the 58 NDPS-Act cases registered over the past year at three Bengaluru railway police stations involved passengers who arrived on the daily Prashanti Express from Bhubaneswar in Odisha.
On August 2, a man and woman from West Bengal — Humayun Kabir (21) and Rimpa Khatun (26) — were arrested at the Bengaluru Cantonment railway station after they alighted from the Prashanti Express. In the search of their two bags, the police found 21.16 kg of ganja. Investigations revealed that the couple regularly flew to Odisha from Bengaluru, returned by train, and carried large consignments of ganja in their baggage. A portion of the contraband was distributed in Bengaluru, and another portion reportedly forwarded to Kerala via road.
Key Figures
The number of NDPS cases registered by the Karnataka railway police for ganja transportation rose from 12 in 2021 to 64 in the current year, while arrests rose from 14 to 59.
Since 2021, about 220 NDPS cases have been registered, with a total contraband haul of 2,163 kg ganja, valued at approximately ₹16.57 crore.
At the Byappanahalli railway station (also known as Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminal, east Bengaluru), 14 cases were registered in one year involving 89 kg of ganja valued at about ₹67.50 lakh.
At the Bengaluru City railway station, 78 kg in 12 cases; at Bengaluru Cantonment station, 106 kg in 10 cases.
Why the Trend?
Police officials attribute the rise to several factors:
Use of unreserved compartments by passengers travelling from Odisha and bordering Andhra Pradesh regions, which makes detection harder.
Bengaluru’s large migrant-worker population and demand for ganja; it is reportedly supplied as a “job-perk” by contractors in some cases.
The route via the Prashanti Express provides a daily connection from East India to Bengaluru, which smugglers exploit.
The volume and value of contraband make it a highly lucrative trade, prompting networks to innovate.
What Are Authorities Doing?
Railway Police in Karnataka are deploying the following measures:
Heightened checks on passengers arriving in unreserved compartments from East India and Andhra Pradesh.
Behaviour-based screening: passengers whose behaviour is suspicious (e.g., arriving from specific origin stations, lots of luggage) are being flagged.
Coordination between the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and the Government Railway Police (GRP) to inspect trains, platforms, terminal stations.
Intelligence-led operations focusing on known routes, trains and origin regions.
FAQ
Q1. Which train is being used for smuggling contraband?
A1. The Prashanti Express, which runs daily between Bhubaneswar (Odisha) and Bengaluru, has featured prominently in the seizures: 23 of the 58 recent NDPS cases at Bengaluru railway stations involved passengers arriving on this train.
Q2. Which Bengaluru stations are most affected?
A2. Key affected stations include Byappanahalli (Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminal) in east Bengaluru, Bengaluru City Railway Station, and Bengaluru Cantonment Railway Station.
Q3. What is the scale of the seizures?
A3. Since 2021: 2,163 kg of ganja seized across 220 NDPS cases, worth ~₹16.57 crore. In the current year, 58 cases so far at three stations alone.
Q4. Why is Bengaluru targeted by smuggling networks?
A4. Bengaluru has a sizeable migrant workforce and demand for ganja is reportedly high. Smugglers exploit daily train connectivity from eastern states and use unreserved compartments to evade detection.
Q5. What can passengers do?
A5. Passengers can cooperate with security by:
Travelling with minimal unclaimed baggage;
Reporting suspicious behaviour or unattended bags;
Boarding only verified trains and following baggage guidelines;
Being aware that checkpoints may increase on certain trains/routes.
Published on : 12TH November
Published by : SARANYA
Source Credit ; Express News Service
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