Women tourists emerging as key players in Odisha’s ganja smuggling racket 

By Suryanarayan Panda 

Bhubaneswar, March 31: Odisha’s drug trafficking network is witnessing a troubling shift—women tourists are increasingly being used as couriers to smuggle ganja (dry cannabis) across state borders. On Monday, the Government Railway Police (GRP) arrested a young man and two women, including a minor, in Koraput, exposing another instance of traffickers using tourism as a cover for illegal operations. 

The trio was caught transporting a significant quantity of ganja, reaffirming suspicions that traffickers strategically employ women to evade law enforcement. Women couriers attract less suspicion and can blend in easily with genuine tourists, making them prime targets for drug syndicates.

Over the past ten months, at least 15 individuals have been arrested in Koraput for ganja smuggling, with a growing number being women. Investigations reveal that traffickers exploit the perception that female travelers face fewer security checks.

“Today, a joint operation by GRP and Railway Protection Force (RPF) led to the seizure of 20 kg of ganja from two women, including a minor, aboard the Samaleswari Express. They were from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Another raid on the Visakhapatnam passenger train resulted in the confiscation of 10 kg of ganja. Two separate cases have been registered,” said Koraput GRP Officer-in-Charge Mamata Mohanta.

So far in 2024-25, six women have been arrested for ganja smuggling, highlighting traffickers’ reliance on them to transport illicit consignments. “Women couriers raise less suspicion, making them ideal for smuggling,” Mohanta added.

Sources indicate that traffickers send young women on sightseeing trips to Koraput, allowing them to blend in before returning with large quantities of ganja. This modus operandi complicates law enforcement efforts.

In the latest operation, police seized 35 kg of ganja from the arrested individuals. A similar case involved a young woman and her male companion posing as tourists while smuggling ganja from Uttar Pradesh.

With this trend on the rise, authorities have intensified surveillance at key transit points. Odisha’s battle against the ganja trade is evolving, requiring sharper vigilance, stronger enforcement, and revised security strategies.