1 November 2026
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

This IRS Officer Is Fighting Against Drugs 

Indian Masterminds Stories

Once struggling with low groundwater levels, woes of Melawas village in Rajasthan’s Pali district are now over. Thanks to the efforts of Mr. Ghanshyam Soni, an IRS officer (custom and central excise), this village can give many towns competition when it comes to development and growth. With proper roads, solar lights, CCTV cameras, and rainwater harvesting, Melawas is a model village and has won many awards for Mr. Soni. 

After fast-tracking his village development, he is on war-footing against drugs.  Mr. Soni has now been posted as Zonal Director Head, NCB, Jodhpur-Jaipur on central deputation. He might have took charge on August 15 this year but in just two months, his team has been able to damage the economy of drugs syndicate in Rajasthan. 

In conversation with Indian Masterminds, Mr. Soni shared his gratitude to be able to serve on this position. He said, ‘The responsibility is huge. I am grateful to UPSC who selected me for this position. My team is prepared to make drugs free Rajasthan.” Till now, his team has been able to do multiple seizures of drugs like heroine, Marijuana (ganja). In a combine raid by NCB and police were able to seize a truck full of more than 111 kg in opium poppy seeds near Jahajpur (Pali, Rajasthan). 

SEIZING OVER Rs 200 Cr PROPERTY 

In a move to economically damage the syndicate, Mr. Soni has started a combined training program. Along with NCB, several other police department are being trained under Section 68F of the Indian Penal Code NDPS act  to seize the property of the criminals caught in commercial frauds including drugs. 

“The first session was held on Jodhpur police academy in which 260 RPS officer took part. Now, several departments who work under NDPS have been given training online & offline too”, Mr. Soni. 

This step has helped to fight the drugs syndicate. The bank account, house, house, shop, shares, agricultural land, own property and property of relatives and associates of more than 35 people have been seized worth more than 200 crores rupees. 

FROM ACROSS THE BORDER 

A racket has been busted which used to order Marijuana from Amazon. The main accused was from Surat and was using ID and address of others to get the delivery. “Only control delivery of such items are permissible and in monitoring of custom & NCB. This racket was fooling innocent people and using their id & address to place the order”, said the officer. 

Besides this, the monitoring of drugs coming from across the border has also increased. In Ganganagar, several case were detected where drugs were sent here through drone. The NCB team under Mr. Soni’s leadership has now been able to control that too. In one raid, heroine worth of more than 4.5 crore were seized. 


Indian Masterminds Stories
Join our WhatsApp Channel
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
Chhattisgarh-Formation-Day-
Chhattisgarh Marks 26 Years of Statehood, Highlights Progress in Welfare, Infrastructure and Technology 
Biometric
UP Skill Development Mission Extends Biometric Attendance Radius to 500 Metres, Offers Relief to Trainees 
Ayodhya Deepotsav 2026
UP's Ayodhya Deepotsav 2026 to Feature 650 Artists from 14 States Showcasing India's Cultural Diversity 
Bhopal Indore Greenfield Expressfield
UP Cabinet Approves Four New Link Expressways Worth ₹17,542 Crore to Boost Connectivity Across the State 
UP Skill Development
Uttar Pradesh Govt Launches ₹1,725 Crore Skill Development Scheme for Youth, Targets All 75 Districts
Yogi Adityanath
UP Skill Development Mission Issues Notices to 93 Training Institutes Over Negligence and Zero Progress
Union Bank of India Asheesh Pandey
Union Bank of India MD and CEO Asheesh Pandey Inaugurates New Banking Facilities in Lucknow and Kanpur
cm dhami
Uttarakhand CM Dhami Approves ₹805 Crore for Dam Safety, Roads, Religious Sites and Urban Development 
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Five years after Kargil, India sent its cricketing heroes to Pakistan where terrorism posed a deadly threat. The man guarding them, former Special Director of Intelligence Bureau, Mr. Yashovardhan Azad, reveals what all went behind the scenes during that crucial tour. 
Trust No One, Said His Instinct in Pakistan
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat
How India Plans to Boost Tourism, Create Jobs and Ease Overcrowding : Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on the Road to 2047
Dr Saket Badola IFS
Beyond Tigers and Safaris: How Corbett Literature Festival Wants to Change the Conservation Conversation
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
UPSC Story
He Taught Students to Meet Expenses. Today, Sachin Bhadouria is a Scientist ‘B’ at CWPRS
Sachin Bhadouria overcame financial challenges and a Hindi-medium background to secure AIR 2 in a UPSC...
Vishwas Jhargad UPSC CAPF
A Photograph of His Mother Accompanied Vishwas Jhargad to the UPSC Interview, Where His Dream Came Closer
Vishwas Vijay Jhargad lost both parents as a child. With his family's support, he secured AIR 145 in...
IA&AS Lokesh Datal
‘Dreams Don’t Change Lives, Daily Habits Do’: IA&AS Officer Lokesh Datal on UPSC and Discipline
IA&AS officer Lokesh Datal shares his UPSC journey, clearing the exam in his fourth attempt, building...
CSR NEWS
Petronet LNG public health award
Petronet LNG Wins ‘Excellence in Public Health Initiatives’ Award at Asia Social Impact & Sustainability Awards 2026 
The recognition, presented in Mumbai on October 28, highlights the company’s commitment to public health,...
CMPDIL Unnat Krishi Project
CMPDIL Signs MoA with Nidhi Samriddhi Foundation to Promote Climate-Resilient Agriculture in Jharkhand
Unnat Krishi Project to introduce ICT and IoT-enabled precision farming for around 100 farmers across...
MCL
MCL Signs MoU to Provide ₹3.20 Crore for Multipurpose Community Hall in Anugola Under CSR
The project at the Reserve Police Office in Chheliapada aims to strengthen local civic infrastructure...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
Chhattisgarh-Formation-Day-
Chhattisgarh Marks 26 Years of Statehood, Highlights Progress in Welfare, Infrastructure and Technology 
Smart Cities, Weak Municipalities_
India’s Cities Have Smart Technology. Do Their Municipalities Have Enough Power to Govern?
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Five years after Kargil, India sent its cricketing heroes to Pakistan where terrorism posed a deadly threat. The man guarding them, former Special Director of Intelligence Bureau, Mr. Yashovardhan Azad, reveals what all went behind the scenes during that crucial tour. 
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat
Dr Saket Badola IFS
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT