In a first for Surguja Range, Jashpur Police secure SAFEMA Mumbai Court order to seize assets of notorious ganja smuggler
// Properties include a two-storey house and five vehicles amassed through illicit drug trade

By : Akshay Lahre
JASHPUR । In a significant crackdown on organized drug trafficking, Jashpur Police successfully froze assets worth Rs 1.38 crore belonging to a notorious ganja smuggler, Heeradhar Yadav. This landmark action was executed under the Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators Act (SAFEMA) following orders from the SAFEMA Mumbai Court. The move, the first of its kind in Surguja Range, was carried out under the directives of Inspector General (IG) Ankit Garg and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shashi Mohan Singh.

Heeradhar Yadav, a seasoned ganja smuggler, had been actively involved in transporting illicit narcotics from Odisha to Chhattisgarh and other states. In a major breakthrough, Jashpur Police apprehended Yadav on August 26, 2024, with 27 kilograms of ganja valued at Rs 2.7 lakh. This led to the registration of an NDPS Act case (Crime No. 94/2024) under Section 20(B)(ii)(C). Further investigations revealed that Yadav had two additional cases of ganja trafficking registered against him in Sitapur Police Station in 2014 and 2016.

Subsequent financial investigations revealed alarming details. Over the past three years, transactions exceeding Rs 1.50 crore had surfaced in the accounts of Yadav and his family members. These findings indicated that Yadav had accumulated substantial wealth through illicit ganja smuggling.

The seized properties include a two-storey house in Haldi Jharia village worth Rs 1,01,47,134 and five vehicles — two cars, two motorcycles, and one tractor — collectively valued at Rs 37,35,000. The combined assets, valued at Rs 1,38,82,134, were frozen following the SAFEMA Mumbai Court’s order.

“This unprecedented action marks the first instance of such a move in Jashpur district under the SAFEMA Act,” said SSP Shashi Mohan Singh. “SDOP Pathalgaon, Dhruvesh Kumar Jaiswal, meticulously presented the financial investigation report to the SAFEMA Court in a highly professional manner, ensuring the successful outcome of this case. Such decisive actions will continue to be executed against organized drug networks operating in the region,” he added.