Bhopal Police’s Crime Branch unit intensified its anti-narcotics campaign on Wednesday by arresting four drug traffickers and seizing 24.290 kilograms of cannabis, valued at approximately Rs7.3 lakh.
DCP (Crime Branch) Akhil Patel confirmed that the accused are part of an interstate smuggling network, which sources cannabis from Odisha and resells it in Madhya Pradesh, especially in Bhopal, at higher rates for profit.
Arjun Kuchbandiya (24) – Abdullahganj, Raisen
Siva Kuchbandiya (23) – Abdullahganj, Raisen
Arvind Uike (19) – Arjun Nagar, Abdullahganj
Deva Kuchbandiya (19) – Abdullahganj, Raisen
Police received a tip about four suspicious individuals loitering near Hanuman Temple at Ratnapur railway underbridge, Misrod area, carrying a white plastic sack. Acting swiftly, a Crime Branch team surrounded the area and detained the suspects.
A blue shoelace-tied sack in their possession contained 13 brown-tape-wrapped packets of cannabis weighing a total of 24.290 kg. The suspects confessed to owning the narcotics.
The accused were booked under Sections 8/20 of the NDPS Act. Notably, Deva, Siva, and Arjun already have prior criminal records, including cases under the IPC, Arms Act, and NDPS Act registered in Bhopal, Obedullaganj, and Raisen.
Officials stated that this operation adds to a successful year in drug crackdowns, with over 282 kg of cannabis seized from 52 traffickers in 2025. Investigations are ongoing to expose the full network and its inter-state links.
