Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A well-organised marijuana smuggling network operating across Madhya Pradesh has been consistently sourcing contraband from Odisha, with traffickers relying heavily on specially modified vehicles to evade police checks.
Crime branch police officials said smugglers mostly use road routes and deploy SUVs, loading vehicles and traveller vans fitted with expertly designed hidden compartments locally referred to as scheme vehicles. These cavities are engineered in areas such as beneath seats, inside doors, under the chassis, within driver cabins, and even in vehicle roofs, making detection during routine checks extremely difficult. “Such vehicles are usually intercepted only when there is specific intelligence input as smugglers are highly cautious while carrying the contraband,” police officials said.
Police officials said these hidden cavities are often created by skilled mechanics hired by smugglers in return for hefty cash. However, no direct action has yet been taken against such experts. “Apart from large vehicles and SUVs, other four-wheelers have also been modified with concealed compartments. In many cases, accused persons were confident that nothing would be found during searches,” said additional DCP (crime) Shailendra Singh Chauhan. “But our teams managed to detect and recover the contraband. Smugglers also adopt deceptive tactics to avoid suspicion including travelling with women and children.”
Recent cases
September 2025: Two men were arrested with over 40 kg of marijuana hidden in a specially designed cavity in the roof of a traveller vehicle.
July 2025: Person named Deepak and Mukesh were arrested with 30kg of marijuana hidden beneath a specially built seat compartment in their SUV.
August 2023: A notorious smuggler identified as Rais alias Radio was arrested with a large consignment concealed in boxes in a cavity under the seat of his car.
20 two-wheelers seized
In last five years, crime branch police seized 19 such four-wheelers that were found to have concealed marijuana packets in specially fabricated compartments. Since 2021, about 20 two-wheelers used by local peddlers have also been confiscated.
