Police in India Burns 200 Tons of Cannabis
Authorities in India burn 200 tons of seized marijuana as part of an operation to crack down on drug gangs, Saturday, February 12. Source: VOA News
Holy cow! Imagine the scent of burning such a sheer quantity of weed. A stash the estimated worth of which is at least $53 million, seized during raids over the past two years. The police exercise took place in India's north coastal region. The area is known for extensive marijuana cultivation activities, from where it is smuggled to the rest of the country.
The Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB) of Andhra Pradesh police set fire to over 200 tonnes of processed ganja at Koduru village near Anakapulle in Visakhpatnam district in a special operation that seeks to shut down the illegal trade of weed.
The operation included personnel from various sectors, and is part of a broader scheme that also seeks to rehabilitate people involved in the illegal trade of cannabis and offer them alternative livelihood opportunities.
Marijuana is illegal in India, although the psychedelic plant has been used in traditional medicine as well as religious practices for millennia. Illicit crops of marijuana have been thriving in northeast India. Andhra Pradesh is the seventh-largest state by area, overlooking the Bay of Bengals.
The most illegal plantations are found in Andhra Pradesh's northern districts of Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam, which officials perceive as a hub from where dealers then take the drug to other parts of India.
Top police officials of the state attended the action of burning the massive quantity of marijuana. Police personnel also used a drone camera to film the exercise.
"While the primary goal was to find and destroy marijuana crops, the operation also aimed to educate indigenous communities participating in the production," a spokesperson said in an official statement.
India has one of the world's largest illegal marijuana trade networks. The recent exercise, which took place on February 12, is part of a wider government-going drug-free agenda.
S
Stephen Andrews
