Police destroy ganja worth Rs 5 cr near AP-Odisha Border

MALKANGIRI: Police officials, who found a ganja (cannabis) farm near the Andhra-Odisha border, destroyed ganja worth Rs 5 crore on Tuesday. Ganja was being cultivated in about 40 acres in the farm.

Ganja was being cultivated in Gurralur, Kamal Poddar, and Kurmanur of Malkangiri district of Odisha, near the Andhra Pradesh border. The police set fire to around 50,000 ganja plants in these villages.

The police said that ganja cultivation and peddling was on the rise in these areas due to the dominance of Maoists and lack of proper police action. However, with recent changes in the police setting and decrease in the presence of Maosists, steps could be taken against illegal cultivation or smuggling of ganja, they said.

The police appealed to people around the Andhra-Odisha border to inform them if there was any information or suspicion on the cultivation of ganja. The police also assured them that the informers' names would be kept confidential.