Malkangiri: About 21,000 cannabis plants spread across 14 acres forest land near Ghagada Bandha village in Nuaguda panchayat under Chitrakonda police limits in Malkangiri district were destroyed Monday in a joint operation by Chitrakonda police and the Malkangiri Excise department.
The Excise department has registered a case in connection with the incident and initiated an investigation. The Revenue Department has been requested to verify the ownership of the land where cannabis was being cultivated and submit a report, based on which the Excise and police departments will identify the cultivators and take appropriate legal action.
During the raid, officials from the Excise department, including Excise Inspector Santosh Kumar Bal, Sub-Inspectors Ashesh Kumar Nayak, Amiya Kumar Khanja, and Deepak Kumar Samal, as well as ASI Ramachandra Hantal, were present.
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Chitrakonda PS Inspector in-Charge C Mukund Melka, other police personnel, and members of the District Voluntary Force also participated in the operation.
PNN