Gajapati: Expediting raids on illegal cannabis farms, a special team comprising of excise sleuths, Adaba police and Forest officials Wednesday destroyed cannabis plantations on 62 acres of land near Antaraba panchayat in the district.
As per reports, excise personnel claimed the price of the cannabis saplings destroyed was estimated to be more than Rs 12 crore. Acting as per the orders of district administration, several illegal cannabis cultivations in other areas of the district will also be destroyed.
Meanwhile, police have initiated a probe to identify the cultivators of the ganja plants.
Cannabis cultivation and smuggling, however, went up exponentially after Maoist activities started flourishing in the district. Locals blame involvement of unscrupulous policemen behind the spike. According to locals, the cops suppress these incidents from media by trying to reach a deal with the smugglers.
Most cases are settled outside the police stations. The cannabis smugglers are shown as robbers, making it easier for them to get bail. It is only when a deal cannot be reached that the smugglers are forwarded to court after filing a complaint on a later date.
PNN