Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Police is extensively relying on satellite mapping data shared by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in identifying areas where Ganja (Dry Cannabis) is cultivated on a large-scale basis in the State, said Odisha DGP Abhay on Tuesday.
According to Abhay, for the last couple of years Odisha Police have been using ISRO’s data shared by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) to various agencies across the country to launch crackdown on the illegal Ganja and Poppy cultivation.
“The satellite mapping of Poppy cultivation has been stabilised in the last 10 years for which we are able to get accurate information. As the Ganja (canabbis) mapping is a recent one, it will take some more time to get pinpoint data. Once it is done, we will be able to carry out drives with much precisions,” said Abhay.
The senior cop further informed that a meeting was recently held with several agencies including the state Excise and Crime Branch and a special strategy has been developed to launch a crackdown on the drugs trade.
Already Odisha Police have been successful in seizing huge quantities of Ganja and Brown Sugar this year, he said.
Over 1054 quintals of Ganja has been seized by various agencies till September 30 following raids in different parts of the State. Maximum Ganja seizure has been made by the Koraput police (413 quintals), Malkangiri (240 quintals) and Gajapati (126 quintals).
“We had launched the special drive in January this year and so far we have seized 1054 quintals of Ganja this year. The cumulative seizure of Ganja is nearly 2.5 times more than the average seizure in the last five years,” Abhay added.
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