CHITTOOR : The Special Enforcement Bureau has discovered opium poppy cultivation in Madanapalle and arrested the alleged grower. SEB sub-inspector Sridhar said the plants were being used for the production of heroin.
“The accused, B Nagaraju of Kathivaripalle village, was arrested for growing illicit opium poppy in his mango garden, situated between Kathivaripalle and Devalampalle in Madanapalli division,” he said. “The SEB sleuths acted on a tip-off and conducted a surprise raid on the mango garden. On seeing the officials, the owner of the land deployed his men to destroy the crop with a tractor,” the SI added.
However, he was prevented from doing so and four bags of opium poppy were seized, while the remaining were destroyed. The SEB official noted that Nagaraju had been growing the plant since the last few years in Madanapalle, Molakalacheruvu, Kuppam, V Kota and some other villages bordering Karnataka. Nagaraju and his driver were remanded to custody and a case was registered against them.