Superintendent of Police Kantilal Patil Subhash said that 51 cases have been registered so far this year, leading to the arrest of 95 accused.
ADILABAD: Komaram Bheem Asifabad police have begun using drones equipped with special software to detect ganja cultivation in remote and hilly border areas, particularly where the crop is being grown as an intercrop alongside redgram and cotton. The software helps differentiate ganja plants from other crops, which otherwise resemble redgram and are difficult to identify visually. Taking advantage of this similarity, some farmers have been secretly cultivating ganja between food crops to make quick profits.
Superintendent of Police Kantilal Patil Subhash said that 51 cases have been registered so far this year, leading to the arrest of 95 accused. Police have seized 14.76 kg of dry ganja and 560 plants, valued at around Rs 50 lakh. He said police had requested district authorities to withdraw Rythu Bharosa benefits from farmers caught growing ganja. The district police are also conducting awareness drives among students and youth, warning that addiction could destroy their future.
Drones are being deployed in the interior mandals of Kerameri, Tiryani, Lingapur, Jainoor and Sirpur (U), as well as in border areas adjoining Maharashtra. Police appealed to the public to report ganja cultivation by dialling 100 or calling 8712670551, assuring that informants’ identities would be kept confidential.
Acting on a tip-off, the task force team led by ASP Chitharanjan used a drone to locate a field near Narayanaguda village in Anthapur gram panchayat, Kerameri mandal and seized 51 ganja plants on October 12. Mandamarri police also arrested three youths transporting dry ganja from Kagaznagar to the coal belt for sale.
In Adilabad district, SP Akhil Mahajan said 120 cases were registered against 240 accused, with 40 kg of dry ganja and 600 plants seized so far this year. Police have formed special teams to monitor interior mandals, especially those bordering Maharashtra. The SP said the department has strengthened its local network for timely information and added that the government has instructed police to deal with ganja cases firmly in view of its rising social impact and crimes linked to addiction.
