4,632-acre cannabis cultivation destroyed in 2017-18: Police

Odisha Police claimed Friday it has destroyed 4,632-acre cannabis cultivation in the state during 2017-18 and registered 38 cases in this connection.

Revealing this at a workshop conducted by the Crime Branch of Odisha Police here, it said the state police have also recorded the highest number of seizure under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, (NDPS Act) cases this year till September.

An official statement said that cannabis plant destruction was carried out jointly by police, forest department and other stakeholders.

Earlier, all the superintendents of police of different districts were directed to strengthen enforcement under the Act, it said.

In 2016-17, destruction of cannabis was carried out on 3,599 acres, while it was 2,457.7 acres in 2015-16, and 3,933.8 acres in 2014-15.

However, there has been decline in the illicit cultivation of cannabis in Western Odisha districts of Angul, Sambalpur and Deogarh, it said.

During January-September 2018, record quantity of ganja, brown sugar and cash were seized from the culprits.

Of the NDPS Act cases, 673 quintals of ganja have been seized against annual seizure of 304.3 quintals in 2017, 428.84 quintals in 2016 and 198.12 quintals in 2015, the police said.

Besides, seizure of brown sugar in the state in 2018 has also increased compared to the previous years, it said.