VISAKHAPATNAM: More than 700 inter-state cannabis smugglers and drug dealers, involved in cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act-1985 in parts of Andhra Pradesh, have been absconding for over six to ten years. The AP police have called for enhanced inter-state coordination with neighboring states (Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Kerala, and others) to apprehend these absconding individuals.
Stung by criticism that major players in the ganja trade have been going scot-free while smaller offenders (tribal youth and part-time drug peddlers) are being targeted by enforcement officials, the AP police have initiated efforts to apprehend the inter-state kingpins involved in the ganja trade.
According to the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) report from 2019 to 2023, enforcement officials seized 5.22 lakh kg of cannabis, registered 6,687 cases under the NDPS Act, and arrested 17,341 persons in Andhra Pradesh.
Key Points:
- 27 special teams formed to apprehend absconding accused in the ganja trade.
- Preventive Detention (PD) Act invoked against 148 ganja smugglers.
- 14 strategically located checkposts established to prevent ganja transportation.
- Special NDPS beats deployed in 34 hotspots, using advanced technology and sniffer dogs to deter criminal activities.
- Intensified crackdown on repeat offenders in the ganja trade.
- Popular cannabis varieties in India include Idukki Gold, Mysore Mango, Sheelavathi, and Malana Cream.
- Large quantities of weed seized nationwide originate from remote pockets along the AOB and Odisha.
- Sheelavathi cannabis is cultivated in over 20,000 acres in AOB and Odisha.
- Sheelavathi cannabis sells for Rs. 1 to Rs. 1.2 lakh per kg, depending on purity.
Speaking to TOI, Inspector General of Police and head of the Elite Anti-Narcotics Group for Law Enforcement (EAGLE), A. Ravi Krishna, said the ganja trade in parts of Alluri Sitharama Raju (ASR) district and five districts in Odisha is controlled by a few kingpins. “We have decided to coordinate with neighboring states for intelligence sharing and effective communication among police officers in border districts to apprehend the absconding inter-state ganja smugglers,” he added.
Among the over 700 absconding inter-state drug peddlers, the majority hail from Odisha, followed by Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Delhi. These absconding smugglers play a vital role in the illegal trade and the financing of cannabis cultivation.
“We have formed district-level special teams to coordinate with neighboring state police to track the movement of the absconding smugglers and nab them,” Ravi Krishna added.
Deputy Inspector General of Visakhapatnam Range, Gopinath Jatti, stated that some inter-state ganja smugglers have amassed crores in illegal assets by engaging in the cannabis trade and financing cannabis cultivation in the Andhra-Odisha Border (AOB) region. The AP police are seeking support from other states to investigate properties acquired through the cannabis trade and assets concealed in various forms. “We will apprehend some of the inter-state kingpins involved in the trade in the coming days,” he added.
Unless the police apprehend the kingpins (inter-state smugglers and drug dealers), curtailing the ganja menace in the tribal pockets along the AOB will remain exceedingly challenging. Most ganja cases culminate in the arrest of a few individuals, while comprehensive inter-state police investigations to apprehend the masterminds behind this illicit trade remain notably absent, expressed leaders and activists from tribal organizations and leftist parties.
