SSB Seizes 325.5 Kg Ganja in Arunachal Pradesh, Arrests One in Joint Op
The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), working with the Arunachal Pradesh Police, seized about 325.5 kg of suspected ganja in West Kameng district on Friday, 18 September 2026, and detained one person during the operation. The haul was recovered by personnel of the 61st Battalion, based at Bhairabkhunda, and later handed over to Balemu Police Station for further investigation and legal action under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
According to the force, the joint operation was part of its continuing effort to curb narcotics trafficking along the border and reflected the importance of close coordination between central and state agencies. An official photograph released by the SSB showed personnel standing beside multiple large sacks containing the seized material, with the apprehended person present at the site.
The latest seizure comes soon after Assam Police recovered more than 307 kg of ganja near the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border, indicating the scale of narcotics movement in the region. Officials say Arunachal Pradesh has emerged as a major area for the cultivation of opium and cannabis, with illicit plantations often spread across remote and difficult terrain that traffickers have long used to avoid detection.
Security agencies have stepped up operations to target both the cultivation and movement of narcotics. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has asked for heightened vigilance over drug trafficking through northeastern states that lie close to the Golden Triangle, as part of the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan.
The Arunachal Pradesh government has also intensified its drive against illegal cultivation. Chief Secretary Manish Kumar Gupta recently said the state had destroyed 18.587 acres of illegal poppy fields and 64.59 acres of cannabis plantations.
An official said seizures of this kind are crucial not only to prevent local consumption in the strategically sensitive border state, but also to stop narcotics from being transported further. The official added that the trade is linked to organised crime and, in some cases, insurgency, with evidence that certain groups use the proceeds and recruit local youth into the racket.
Central Armed Police Forces and paramilitary organisations, including the SSB and Assam Rifles, are assisting state police in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura. Officials said coordination among agencies has improved, intelligence networks have been strengthened and crackdowns are being carried out regularly. In recent months, thousands of kilograms of narcotics, both locally cultivated and smuggled across borders, have been seized, while groups involved in the trade continue to be identified and their members arrested.
The SSB said it remains committed to border security through sustained vigilance and cooperation with state agencies. Balemu Police are continuing the investigation.
