Drug law enforcement agencies have seized 38.89 lakh kg of cannabis-based drugs across India between 2020 and November 2025, with Odisha accounting for more than 27 per cent of the total recoveries, the Union Home Ministry informed Parliament. Cannabis-based drugs include ganja, hashish and hashish oil.
In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said seizures stood at 5.88 lakh kg in 2020 and peaked at 8.16 lakh kg in 2021. Recoveries then declined steadily over the next three years, 7.22 lakh kg in 2022, 6.32 lakh kg in 2023 and 5.4 lakh kg in 2024. The downward trend reversed in 2025, with seizures rising to 5.89 lakh kg till November.
Odisha topped the list of states with cumulative recoveries of 10.65 lakh kg over the six-year period and consistently led the annual charts. The data points at the scale of cannabis cultivation and trafficking challenges in the state.
The figures also reflect shifting trafficking patterns across regions. Rajasthan recorded a sharp increase, with seizures rising from 14,826 kg in 2020 to 58,146 kg in 2025, signalling a growing enforcement challenge. West Bengal, too, saw an uptick, with recoveries increasing from 25,979 kg in 2020 to 32,456 kg in 2025.
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In contrast, some traditional hotspots witnessed a decline. Andhra Pradesh, which recorded the second-highest cumulative total of 5.5 lakh kg, saw annual seizures fall sharply from over 2.01 lakh kg in 2021 to 44,182 kg in 2025. Chhattisgarh’s recoveries dropped from 36,211 kg in 2020 to 15,235 kg in 2025, while Karnataka’s declined from 21,657 kg to 6,746 kg during the same period.
Significant recoveries were also reported from the Northeast. Tripura recorded a cumulative seizure of 2.46 lakh kg, placing it fourth nationally, just behind Uttar Pradesh at 2.47 lakh kg. Assam accounted for nearly 1.94 lakh kg over the six years.
Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said the government has deployed advanced technologies, including AI-integrated grids, radars, motion detectors and drones along borders to track trafficking routes. Border guarding forces such as the BSF, Assam Rifles and SSB have been empowered under the NDPS Act to conduct searches and seizures, while international cooperation has been strengthened to dismantle transnational drug syndicates.
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