Over Rs 10 Lakh worth of Ganja plantation destroyed in Odisha’s Sundargarh

In a major anti-narcotics operation, a joint team of local Excise, Forest, and police officials destroyed over an acre of Ganja (cannabis) cultivation on Tuesday in Sundargarh district, with an estimated market value of the plants exceeding Rs 10 lakh.

Also Read: Cannabis worth over Rs 63 lakh destroyed in Odisha

According to official sources, the massive operation was carried out under the supervision of a magistrate in villages including Baraghat, Jhandisahi, Annasahi, and Ulasura of Bhalupani panchayat under Tikayatpali police limits.

The illegal cannabis plantations were being cultivated on behalf of mafia networks from outside the State. Local tribal residents were allegedly employed to tend the crops, acting under the direction of these external groups.

The officials worked together to uproot and destroy the cannabis plants. Local authorities emphasised that such operations aim to curb the spread of illegal narcotics and prevent the exploitation of residents by organised crime syndicates.

However, no comments were received from the Excise, Forest, and police officials.

Worth mentioning, earlier in another incident, authorities had destroyed Ganja worth over Rs 63 lakh. The seized contraband item, collected from 20 cases across three police stations in Kandhamal, was incinerated on August 1 this year at a designated facility in Ganjam district’s Sheragada locality.

The destruction had been carried out by a narcotics eradication outfit in accordance with legal procedures.

Ganja was then confiscated over various time frames from different regions in Kandhamal, specifically in Phiringia, Gochhapada, and Khajuripada police limits.

The contraband was linked to a total of 20 NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) cases, and included over 1,000 kilograms of Ganja, stored securely pending court orders.

Police officials had confirmed that the controlled burning process was supervised to ensure environmental compliance and safety. The initiative had marked a significant step in the State’s crackdown on illegal narcotics cultivation and distribution in the region.