Ganjam: Despite a regular crackdown by police and Excise officials, smuggling of ganja and other contraband items continues unabated in different parts of the State. In the latest instance, over 30 quintals of ganja (dry cannabis) worth around Rs 3 crore was seized at Krushnapur village under Patapur Police Limits in the district on Monday.
The contraband was seized from a smuggler’s house following a joint raid conducted by Patapur police and Excise department. All the members of the family are on thr run.
A day earlier, ganja cultivation on around 20 acres of land had been destroyed at T Govindpur area under Taptapani police limits in the district.
Similarly on November 23, a joint team of Mohana Police and Excise department had destroyed Ganja cultivation worth over Rs17.28 crore by setting the hemp plant on fire spread across several places in Gajapati district.
During the raid, ganja cultivation in more than 86 acres of land at Buduni and Kadamuli areas under Baghamari Panchayat had been destroyed. The officials had uprooted the fully grown cannabis plants and set those on fire.
(Rashmi Ranjan Mohanty)