The Hyderabad City Police stepped up action against illegal Chinese manja before the Sankranti festival, seizing contraband worth ₹1.24 crore and arresting 143 people, officials said on January 8, 2026. Police Commissioner V.C. Sajjanar announced a special drive to stop the sale, storage, and transport of the synthetic and nylon kite string, banned due to dangers to humans, birds, and the environment. "There will be zero tolerance and anyone involved will face criminal action," he said. The drive led to 103 cases being registered with 6,226 bobbins of Chinese manja seized across Hyderabad. The South West Zone saw the most violations: 34 cases, 46 arrests, and 3,265 bobbins seized worth ₹65.30 lakh. The South Zone followed with 27 cases, 35 arrests, and seizures worth ₹37.22 lakh. Other zones also reported cases and seizures, totaling significant crackdowns citywide. The Commissioner's Task Force alone registered 67 cases, arrested 87 persons, and seized banned manja valued at ₹68.78 lakh. Senior officers including Additional Commissioner M. Srinivasulu and DCPs Khare Kiran Prabhakar, G. Chandra Mohan, and Gaikwad Vaibhav Raghunath were present at the press meet. Commissioner Sajjanar congratulated the team and gave cash awards for their efforts in the crackdown.