BENGALURU: With Karnataka continuing its crackdown on drug peddlers, it has now come to light that nearly 90 per cent of the marijuana (ganja) supplied to the state comes from Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and other states.
Over the last few days, the Karnataka police have seized huge quantities of ganja from several places, including a 1,350 kg-haul in Kalaburagi and 186 kg from Kolar Gold Fields (KGF).
The ganja seized from Kalaburagi had come from Odisha.
Sources in the Home Department told The New Indian Express on Friday that ganja cultivated in Maoist-affected areas is being brought to the state and the Karnataka police are working in close coordination with their counterparts in those states to crack down on such illegal activities.
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A change in strategy — going after the entire supply chain and not stopping with the arrests those involved in peddling small quantities of marijuana — is said to be the major reason for the seizure of huge quantities of ganja in the last few days, especially consignments coming from other states.
‘Takes a lot of time to track down suppliers’
After arresting people dealing in small quantities, police are focusing on establishing links till they get to the source. In the past, they had mostly focused on small peddlers.
“It takes a lot of work to track down suppliers and get to the source. The police forces in Maoist-affected areas are more focussed on fighting insurgency. Now we have to coordinate with them and track down the peddlers, mostly when they are transporting it,” sources said.
The drive against drug peddling has been intensified, especially after high-profile names from the Kannada film industry were exposed for their alleged links with the drug networks.
“Such drives were conducted earlier too, but now it is being done more vigorously and we are cracking down on the entire supply chain. Fear should instilled in the minds of those involved in drug peddling that action will be taken against them under the stringent Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act,” sources said.
Director and Inspector General of Police Praveen Sood said they are coordinating with the police in Chhattisgarh and other states to track down the suppliers and take action.
Getting tough on drug menace
Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai too have reiterated that the government will continue to take tough measures against the drug menace.
Bommai had recently directed the state police chief to coordinate with other states.