No check on ganja cultivation in AP

Vijayawada: Though the smuggling of ganja through districts in the capital region was reported two months ago, the prohibition and excise department has not implemented any measures to curb the menace. Transportation routes through the Agency areas of East Godavari district pose a threat to public health as well as state revenues. 

Shocking facts about the existence of hidden ganja mafia network from Visakhapatnam to Amaravati have been revealed. This network includes people with access to money as well as those with political aspirations. The Capital Region police are worried because they sense an increase in the sale of ganja along the banks of the Krishna river and in Guntur district.

In the districts of East Godavari and Visakhapat-nam, the local mafia is encouraging villagers and tribals from Tamil Nadu, Odisha and Bihar to operate from the Amaravati Capital Region. It has become difficult for investigative agencies to control the movements and activities of the mafia because non-locals are able to get past toll gates very easily. 

A senior officer from the enforcement wing, who earlier worked in the north coastal districts said, “Failures in administration and coordination, and lack of manpower has indirectly made it possible for Naxals to encourage tribals to cultivate ganja deep within the forests.” He added that ganja smugglers and loaders who were caught and imprisoned often returned to the trade after the end of their prison sentences because they needed money and there was no rehabilitation offered to them.  Affluent people begin using ganja, and later graduate to cocaine, heroin and LSD. 

Meanwhile, poor people such as platform dwellers and rickshaw-pullers begin with ganja and they end up using sedative drugs such as Pethidine, Avil, Compose and Fortwain, which are available in pharma black markets. They eventually become injected drug users (IDUs).  

According to data gathered by NGOs, there are over 10,000 unidentified IDUs. In Vijayawada, around 400 IDUs have been identified, while there are over 5,000 unidentified IDUs.

Investors from the Amaravati Capital Region are reportedly pumping money into the ganja trade, which acts as a source of profit for them while they try to fulfill their political ambitions by getting into market yard committees, corporations and government boards. Members of the ganja mafia win over public representatives by portraying themselves as financially-sound syndicate capable of funding political campaigns.

Advanced technical measures implemented by the Vijayawada city police in the recent past have hampered the free movement of ganja smugglers to some extent. 

On the banks of the River Krishna, ganja smugglers still roam free, in the guise of tourists.