E-Paper
Andhra police burn 200 tonnes of cannabis worth ₹500 crore as part of Operation Parivartan
The narcotic plant is grown extensively in the north coastal Andhra districts of Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam. The tribal areas of Visakhapatnam bordering Odisha are known for huge quantities of cannabis cultivation, from where it is smuggled to different parts of the country.
The Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB) of Andhra Pradesh police set fire to over 200 tonnes of processed cannabis (ganja) at Koduru village near Anakapalle in Visakhapatnam district under Operation Parivartan programme on Saturday.
The cannabis seized from smugglers, according to the police, is estimated to cost around ₹500 crore in the market.
The narcotic plant is grown extensively in the north coastal Andhra districts of Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam. The tribal areas of Visakhapatnam bordering Odisha are known for huge quantities of cannabis cultivation, from where it is smuggled to different parts of the country.
The entire exercise of burning such a huge quantity of ganja was done in the presence of top police officials of the state led by Director General of Police D Gautam Sawang, who claimed that it was the first of its kind exercise in the entire country. The entire programme was captured by the police personnel using drone cameras under strict surveillance.
A CMO spokesperson said the special operation was undertaken to eliminate the cultivation and supply of cannabis as part of the government’s efforts to make the state drug-free.
Speaking to reporters later, the DGP said that Operation Parivartan was launched on October 31, 2021. Between November 2021 and February 2022, the SEB authorities had destroyed the ganja crop in 7,552 acres. This was compared to 3,000 acres destroyed in 2016-17.
“The state government has given a mandate to the SEB to curb cannabis. Operation Parivartan has two parts: one is through technology and the other is intensive vigilance. We have devised the operation, with a two-pronged strategy. While the primary goal was to find and destroy marijuana crops, the operation also aimed to educate indigenous communities participating in the production,” he said.
The operation, which included revenue, tribal welfare, agricultural, and ITDA personnel, aimed to rehabilitate people involved in the cannabis trade by giving them alternative livelihood opportunities.
The DGP said in the last year, the police had seized more than three lakh kg of cannabis. Most of this cannabis cultivation takes place near the Andhra-Odisha border; most of the cultivation takes place in 29 districts of Orissa and two districts of Andhra Pradesh.
“But, since the last one year, there has been a focused drive by the SEB and the police department. Due to the vigilance and monitoring of the exit routes, we have also learnt the modus operandi of the cannabis smugglers,” he added.
