Berhampur: Gajapati district drug disposal committee on Friday destroyed over 5.23 tonnes of ganja seized in narcotics cases at an incinerator in Arakhapada under Sheragada block of Ganjam district. The contraband was seized by R Udayagiri police in 25 cases registered under the NDPS Act.Police said the disposal was carried out after approval from the drug disposal committee and in accordance with court-prescribed procedures. The ganja was destroyed in the presence of committee members, scientific officers and Gajapati SP Prahallad Sahai Meena. “The proposal for disposal of the seized contraband was submitted to the drug disposal committee and subsequently approved. The disposal was carried out in adherence to all legal procedures,” police said.The move comes amid efforts by law enforcement agencies to clear stocks of ganja and other narcotics seized during anti-drug operations across Odisha. In 2022, Orissa high court directed subordinate courts to expedite disposal of applications filed under Section 52A of the NDPS Act relating to seized contraband, police sources said.Officials said steps were being taken to dispose of ganja seized in cases registered by police stations in Gajapati district. Police attributed the seizure to an anti-narcotics drive conducted in the Adava and R Udayagiri police station areas under the supervision of SDPO Rakesh Kumar Sahoo.During the last nine months, police seized over 26 tonnes of ganja, the highest-ever recovery in the district, with a market value of around Rs 22 crore, Sahoo said. The crackdown resulted in the seizure of 12 vehicles and arrest of 27 persons allegedly involved in the narcotics trade. “Frequent raids and sustained enforcement have brought illegal transportation of ganja in the area almost to nil over the last few months,” Sahoo said.