Jeypore: Despite regular crackdown by the police on the hideouts of criminals, Jeypore, known as a commercial hub of undivided Koraput district, is fast turning into a breeding ground of ganja smugglers and robbers, a report said.
Hemp cultivation is going on unabated over large swathes of land in Malkangiri, a neighbouring district. The demand of ganja grown in Malkangiri is learnt to be very high in the international market.
This draws many youths from other states to collaborate with the local youths for hemp farming and smuggling. The youths here also earn hefty sum by working as informers for bigger contraband racket. The criminals from Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, with the help of local youths, plan for smuggling and robbery staying in Jeypore hotels. A few police officials, political leaders and media men help the criminals in expanding their network, it was learnt.
It may be recalled that two police officials including an IIC were recently suspended and produced in court on the charge of helping ganja smugglers.
On the other hand, the local youngsters after becoming rich overnight through illegal trading, aspire to maintain lavish lifestyle. This forces them to resort to crimes like robbery, ATM loot and bank loot by forming gangs with the help of criminals of other states.
According to a statistics available with the police department, 95 per cent accused held in robbery cases were found to be ganja smugglers.
During the last three months, Koraput police managed to foil several robbery bids in 20 police station areas and arrested 60 people with criminal background. Of them, 50 were from other states. Three firing incidents have also been reported in the last one week. Besides, 65 quintals of ganja and 15 luxurious cars were seized in the last four months.
Meanwhile, two teams, a task force and another district action committee, under the supervision of SP KB Singh have been formed to check robbery and ganja smuggling incidents in the district.
Task force committee in-charge SDPO TJ Reddy said most of the accused arrested in ganja smuggling cases during the crackdown were from other states.
Reiterating Reddy’s account, ASP Sagarika Nath of the action committee said the number of youths from other states is more in the list of accused who were arrested in dacoity cases.
“The district police are taking all kinds of measures to check ganja smuggling and robbery,” said SP Singh.
PNN