Sabarkantha, Oct 5 (IANS) Illegal cultivation of ganja concealed among cotton crops was detected at two locations in Sabarkantha district’s Poshina taluka of Gujarat, with police seizing more than 475 kg of the narcotic substance and arresting four people, the police said.
The Special Operations Group (SOG) said on Sunday that it seized 666 ganja plants weighing 401.730 kg and valued at Rs 2,00,86,500 crore from agricultural land in Anjani village.
One person, identified as Shrinbhai Gamar, was arrested, while another accused, Manabhai Gamar, remained to be arrested.
The SOG said its personnel were patrolling villages along the Poshina border under operations related to the ATS Charter when two personnel received information from human sources about ganja being cultivated on land allegedly under Gamar’s possession in Jalera Faliya of Anjani.
As the team could not immediately visit the location, technical surveillance was used to verify the information.
A subsequent search found ganja plants being cultivated under the cover of cotton crops, following which action was initiated under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
In a separate operation in the Ro-Padola Faliya area of Kalikankar village, Poshina Police Station personnel seized 322 ganja plants valued at Rs 36,83,400 and weighing 73.662 kg.
Three men — Jayeshbhai Gamar, 30, Arjunbhai Gamar, 31, and Govindbhai Gamar, 33 — were arrested.
Police said the three accused were residents of Kalikankar’s Ro-Padola Faliya and that the ganja was cultivated on agricultural land under their possession, again concealed among cotton crops.
The second operation followed information received by Surveillance PSI V.B. Meghnathi through a human source while he and other personnel were patrolling the Poshina Police Station area.
The team subsequently visited the location, verified the information and conducted a search, leading to the recovery.
Police said legal action under the NDPS Act had been initiated in both cases.
–IANS
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