The State Monitoring Cell (SMC) in Ahmedabad has apprehended a 30-year-old resident of Bopal, Archit Agrawal, in a significant drug trafficking case involving high-grade hybrid cannabis. This arrest marks the second time in less than three years that Agrawal has been taken into custody for a similar offence under the stringent Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
Details of the December Drug Bust
According to the official SMC complaint, the current case originates from an intelligence-based operation conducted on December 28, 2025. A police team intercepted three individuals on a footpath near a villa in Changodar. From them, the authorities recovered 432 grams of hybrid ganja, which has an estimated street value of Rs 15.12 lakh.
The seizure did not stop there. Police also confiscated other related material and a high-end car. The total value of all items seized during this operation reached approximately Rs 30 lakh. An offence was formally registered the next day, on December 29, under Sections 8(c), 20(b), and 29 of the NDPS Act at the SMC police station.
The Arrest and Connection to Past Crimes
Following the December bust, investigators identified Archit Agrawal as a key suspect involved in the supply and delivery chain of the contraband. Acting on fresh intelligence, an SMC team tracked him down to South Bopal and placed him under arrest on Thursday afternoon. The arrest was completed at 3:40 PM after fulfilling all legal formalities.
This is not Agrawal's first brush with the law for narcotics offences. He was previously arrested in October 2023 by the Local Crime Branch (LCB) of Ahmedabad rural police in another hybrid cannabis case. In that instance, investigators uncovered that he allegedly utilized courier services and social media platforms to sell drugs, with transactions running into several lakhs of rupees. A massive Rs 98 lakh worth of hybrid ganja was seized at that time.
"His involvement in earlier cases shows a pattern of repeated offences under the NDPS Act," the recent complaint noted. The police are now examining if the present case has any operational or financial links to his earlier networks.
Ongoing Investigation and Digital Forensics
The probe is actively progressing on multiple fronts. Officials stated that electronic devices are being forensically examined to identify Agrawal's contacts, trace payment trails, and uncover possible connections to other drug suppliers in the region.
An SMC officer confirmed that further investigation is underway to identify other members of the supply chain. The focus is on determining how the contraband was sourced and the methods used for its distribution in Ahmedabad and surrounding areas.
The repeated arrest of the same individual in high-value drug cases underscores the challenges law enforcement faces in combating organized narcotics networks operating in the city.
