Director General of Police Ch. Dwaraka Tirumala Rao inspecting the ganja at the incinerator in Jawaharlal Nehru Pharmacity at Parawada in Anakapalli district on Tuesday.
| Photo Credit: K.R. Deepak

The process of destroying 34,418 kg ganja, which was seized in 459 cases for the past two years in Anakapalli district, was started by the district police here on Tuesday. The total worth of ganja is estimated to be around ₹18 crore in the erstwhile Visakhapatnam district, but it can be sold at around ₹35 crore in some northern States, as per the police.

Ganja bags in the incinerator in Jawaharlal Nehru Pharmacity at Parawada in Anakapalli district on Tuesday.
| Photo Credit:
K.R. DEEPAK

Director General of Police Ch. Dwaraka Tirumala Rao along with IG of Eagle, anti-narcotic force, A. Ravi Krishna, started the mass destruction programme by placing 100 kg of seized ganja in an incinerator at Jawaharlal Nehru Pharmacity (JNPC), Parawada. They were accompanied by Deputy Inspector General, Visakha Range, Gopinath Jatti, and Superintendent of Police Tuhin Sinha. ASR district SP Amit Bardar and Anakapalli District Collector Vijaya Krishnan were present.

Earlier, the officials used to destroy ganja by burning it in an isolated place on the city outskirts. However, in view of public and environmental factors, now the destruction programme is carried out using incinerator. As per the police, around 7,000 kg ganja will be destroyed per day, following procedures. It would take at least five days to destroy the total ganja.

Speaking to the media after beginning the programme, Mr. Dwaraka Tirumala Rao said that Andhra Pradesh used to be the major source of ganja when any case was solved across the country. But now, the ganja cases have drastically come down. He said that there used to be thousands of acres of ganja plantations in the Alluri Sitharama Raju district some years ago, but now they are less than hundred acres. He said that the police are now using technology to trace ganja plantations, increased checkposts and monitoring movement of smugglers to put an end to the ganja menace.

The DGP said that deputation of the staff for the Eagle, anti-natcotic taskforce, is under way. He expressed confidence that like red sanders taskforce and greyhounds, the ‘Eagle’ will also yield great results. The government has also decided to provide them additional incentives, he said.

The DGP warned that strict action would be initiated against those involved in cultivating, transporting, storing as well as consuming ganja. He reiterated that a number of awareness programmes are being taken up across various districts to end the menace.

Mr. Ravi Krishna said that at present, around 95,000 kg of seized ganja is present in various district across the State. The destruction programme will be taken up in the presence of drug disposal committees, he said.

Mr. Tuhin Sinha said that the district police has set up five permanent checkposts at various places. Stating that the police have been using CCTV cameras, drones and sniffer dogs to deal with the ganja cases, the SP said that in the year 2024 alone, 162 kg ganja cases were registered in which 423 persons were arrested and 7,442 kg ganja was seized.

Besides, 470 suspect sheets, three KD sheets and two rowdy-sheets were opened against 475 individuals in ganja related cases, while PD Act was invoked against 11 persons, he said.