Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh): Cannabis (Ganja) is being cultivated illegally on a large scale in Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam, an investigation by Eenadu network has found. According to the investigation, the illegal crop is being cultivated on more than 15,000 acres of land on the Andhra-Odisha border (AOB).
An unofficial estimate is that Rs8,000 crores worth of cannabis grown here annually is smuggled inside and outside of the country. Its value in the national and international market is over Rs25,000 crores. Drug gangs from Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Kerala are playing a key role in cultivating this crop in Visakhapatnam and moving it to other parts of the country.
Over the years, people from various districts in Andhra Pradesh have become active in supplying ganja. The police and Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB) officers though catch a small amount of illegal ganja transport, they are not able to crack down on the real suppliers. They can catch only 2-3 per cent of thousands of tonnes of marijuana being smuggled across the state by road and rail transport.
A few years ago, cannabis was grown on hundreds of acres in Visakhapatnam. However, the area is highly conducive to drug gangs. The drug gangs of Kerala, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu have cracked down on the high quality and high demand 'Shilavathi cannabis.' Tribal lands are taken for lease and used for cannabis cultivation. The narcotic drug is being smuggled to various parts of the country, generating thousands of crores of rupees.
No proper surveillance
Police and SEB officers are constantly raiding and seizing ganja. However, they have failed to crack down on the drug mafia that has taken root from Visakhapatnam to abroad. There is no proper surveillance over cannabis cultivation. It is possible to trace the origins of the masterminds by identifying where the marijuana reaches in the supply phase, but no such attempts were seen during the investigation by the Eenadu network.
Also read: Marijuana worth Rs 9.28 cr seized from parts of Telangana
Where do the cannabis go
- Cannabis is transported to Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, West Bengal, Sikkim, Nagaland, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Kerala, Chennai, Odisha, Telangana
- From AP to Maharashtra via Telangana and from there to the Northeastern states
- Recently, DRI officials inspected a vehicle travelling to Lucknow-Agra Expressway in Uttar Pradesh and found 972 kg of cannabis worth Rs1.45 crore
- Chennai police seized 120 kg of cannabis being smuggled from AP for supply in various parts of Tamil Nadu in July. Three people were arrested in this case
- Guntur urban police have recently arrested a gang that was trying to smuggle liquid form of ganja to Vadodara in Gujarat
- Neighbouring Hyderabad, however, has become a hub for cannabis smuggled from AP. Cannabis is often found in the city
- Kale gang and Pawar gang from Maharashtra are playing a key role in cannabis smuggling
Cannabis cultivation estimation at Manyam
- The average yield from each cannabis plant is 250-350 grammes
- The average yield per acre is 1,000 kg
- Depending on the quality, the price of cannabis averages from Rs2,500 - Rs3,000 per kg
- The income from an acre of cannabis cultivation is Rs60 lakhs for two seasons, at a rate of Rs30 lakhs per season
- The cost for the cultivation of cannabis per acre is Rs5 lakhs for two seasons
- The surplus is Rs55 lakh per acre
Cannabis cultivation area on Andhra-Odisha border
- About 15 thousand acres
- Net income of drug gangs from cultivation on 15,000 acres per annum is about Rs8,000 crore
- The rate of that cannabis is at least three times higher in other states and abroad. It is estimated to be worth over Rs25,000 crore when it reaches the national and international markets
