Ganja haul in 2012: 13,500 kgs!

VISAKHAPATNAM: Ganja cultivation and trade appears to be hitting a new high in the district, going by the increasing number of seizures by the rural police in recent times. While in the last 10 days alone, the rural police seized over 600 kg of the contraband weed pegged at around Rs 2.4 crore in the open upcountry market, the year 2012 saw seizures touch 13,500 kgs as compared to 5,000 kgs in 2011, superintendent, Visakha rural, G Srinivas, said.
The net worth of total ganja seized last year could be anywhere near Rs 50 crore as a finished product in Mumbai or Chennai, he said. While the police have arrested about 30 persons in this connection, most of them were either tribals who grow or shift the grass to the National Highway point or transporters such as truck and taxi drivers.
The police authorities fear that the dragnet may be spread wide across states such as Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala or Maharashtra. While we were able to confiscate 13,500 kgs last year, an equal amount would have been shipped out, said Srinivas.
Remote tribal villages along the Andhra-Odisha border between Sileru and Munchingput mandals are understood to be the main hubs where this contraband grass is cultivated. The cultivation of ganja has seen an upswing after the Maoists allowed the tribals to cultivate.
"Earlier, Maoists vehemently opposed the cultivation of ganja and even threatened tribals. But ever since they have been losing their grip in the tribal areas they have allowed for restricted cultivation. They have allowed each hamlet in these remote areas to cultivate ganja on about 2 to 5 acres since the tribals earn a good sum from this," said the SP.
"For the innocent tribals, the contraband grass is just another forest produce and the only thing they know is that they earn a good sum by cultivating and transporting it to the road point," he said.
A senior police officer from the intelligence wing said, "Agents from Tamil Nadu or Karnataka surreptitiously approach tribals and lure them to grow the grass by promising a good payment. They even give some money in advance. The grass is grown by a few families and then cut and handed over to another set of tribals from the same village whose duty it is to carry the bundles to a pre-designated point on the NH. From there the cargo is moved to a truck or taxi and shipped to places such as Jaggampeta or Yeleswaram and from there it is moved to other states."
According to Srinivas, they try to apprehend them at these points, as it is difficult to track the consignment once it reaches the plain areas. "At times, the tribals walk for four to five days through difficult terrain to reach the road points and are paid well by conduits who wait there. It is the money that is luring the tribals. They do not understand either the ramifications of this nor the original value of the finished stuff in the upcountry market. They are happy with Rs 3,000 to 5,000 they get by shipping it. We do arrest them but also release them, as we understand that they are just innocent transporters who are being used," he said.
Negating the idea that Maoists are involved in ganja trafficking for fund their arms purchases, a senior police officer from APSIB said that Maoists do not believe in arms purchase as their main philosophy is to raid the police quartermaster and use their arms on them. "They strictly follow Mao's and Che Guevara's principle of guerrilla warfare. But there are a few Naxal factions such as Jan Shakti and Red Flags who purchase arms but their presence in this region is minimal, he said.
The rural SP also endorsed the idea that Maoists are not involved in ganja trading but use the traders for minor logistic support such as bringing them battery cells, wire bundles, glucose or medicines.
"Apart from trying to educate the tribals on the consequences of the trade we have destroyed a huge ganja plantation in Komangi village in Munchigput mandal recently which was the hub of production," said Srinivas.