SHIVAMOGGA: Shivamogga police are using drones as part of area domination drives to track and nab youths consuming ganja. Trained personnel monitor the drones to identify and catch ganja users, peddlers and cultivators across the district.
Superintendent of Police Mithun Kumar G K told the TNIE that area domination has been carried out in new layouts and in dens that are located inside and the city outskirts areas where youths usually gather. These drones were operated in such areas, including some residential areas, where images will be captured. Those images will be closely monitored, based on their activities, the suspects will be brought to police stations, and they will be tested for ganja consumption, he added.
The SP said that the initiative was launched at the end of 2024. A total of three drones were used for the purpose and every police station has drone operators. "The police conduct beats in residential areas, layouts and city outskirts from 6 pm to 10 pm. During the beats anyone found consuming suspicious things, behaving suspiciously or running away seeing the police, they will be brought to police stations. Many times they escape from police staff while police are on beats, to capture and nab such people, these drones are of highly useful," the SP informed.
In some cases, if there is a tip-off that ganja has been cultivated between the crops, if the area is not accessible to get confirmed, in such cases, these drones will be sent to the fields to capture close images for confirmation. Drones are highly useful to find out the cases of ganja consumption rather than to find out ganja cultivation in the district, he said.
Drones have been very handy for police, especially for surveillance, for security purposes during huge public gatherings, to foresee inaccessible areas and mainly to curb ganja consumption cases in the district. Plans were made to buy more in future, and they will be used fully to curb ganja consumption in the district, he added.
He said that area domination measures have resulted in the arrest of those consuming ganja. Drone-based surveillance has allowed police to trace and document illegal plantations. Teams have been deployed to vulnerable areas, expanding ground-level vigilance to detect and deter drug-related activities, he added.
According to data obtained from the police department, in the last three years, using drones in area domination, a total of 2,144 raids were conducted. A total of 9,614 individuals were made to take a ganja consumption test, of which 960 of them have tested positive for ganja consumption.
The SP said that the police have increased intervention against the cultivation of cannabis, particularly in forest belts by using drones. According to records, in the last three years, a total of 15 cases of ganja cultivation have been registered in the district using drones.