The ganja problem in Vizag has grown to the point where it has become a national issue. Regularly, cases of ganja being smuggled from Visakhapatnam Agency to other states have been reported. Various political parties have taken their own stance on this issue, with many of them asking for intervention from the Central Government. Talking about the ganja plague in the state, especially along the Andhra Pradesh – Odisha Border (AOB), Director General of Police, D Gautam Sawang IPS, called for a review meeting on Tuesday at Rajahmundry.
Attended by the Superintendents of Police in the state, the meeting tabled various aspects of the ganja trade, from cultivation in the Visakhapatnam Agency area to the trading destinations to the smuggling routes.
DGP Sawang has sought the help of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), as well as the Odisha and Telangana State Governments, to combat the ganja trade from the Visakhapatnam Agency. In this regard, he interacted with his counterparts in the Odisha and Telangana State Governments to come up with a strategic action plan that will not be too dissimilar to the joint operations run against Maoism.
During the meeting, DGP Sawang illustrated how this approach will be different. “The Maoist-hit regions along the AOB are a hotbed for ganja cultivation. This time, we are planning a coordinated strategy that will involve Central and State stakeholders, along with the Greyhounds and the Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB). The SPs of the concerned districts have given in their inputs on this issue.”
This year, 2.9 lakh kg of ganja has been seized by AP Police in the AOB region. The state police plan to burn more than 4,500 acres of ganja cultivation in the area.
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