VIJAYAWADA: After the Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB) officials destroyed ganja plantation under Operation Parivartana, ganja smuggling from agency comes down in the state.
According to SEB officials, 30 ganja smuggling cases were registered in Visakhapatnam and East Godavari districts so far in January, far less than over 100 cases registered during the corresponding period last year.
On Saturday, East Godavari police seized 1,000 KGs of Ganja worth around Rs 1 crore at Mothugudem village in Chintoor mandal from two vehicles during an inspection. The ganja was being transported to Hyderabad from Odisha. In another incident, SEB officials arrested two persons for smuggling 640 kg ganja worth Rs 60 lakh at M Kondur Junction in Visakhapatnam.
“In both the cases, ganja came from Odisha. With the majority of the ganja stocks destroyed during operation Parivartana, we are observing a decrease in cases of illegal transportation of Ganja in January,” said a senior SEB official.
SEB officials further said they have increased vigil at all vulnerable checkpoints in both districts to curb the illegal smuggling activities during night hours.
The SEB in coordination with state police launched Operation Parivartana with an aim to curb the supply side of the ganja menace in November last. Officials estimated that more than 90 per cent of ganja crop in two districts - Visakhapatnam and East Godavari- was destroyed during the month-long operation. During the operation, SEB officials destroyed ganja plantations worth around 9,034 crore in 7,375 acres of land at 299 villages in 11 mandals of Visakhapatnam and East Godavari.