At 535kg, third biggest haul of marijuana in Delhi

NEW DELHI: Special Cell got the third biggest haul of marijuana this year by seizing 535kg of the contraband from a truck. The consignment had been sent from Odisha to Delhi.
The arrested men have been identified as Atveer Singh and Vijay Rai, residents of outer Delhi, said DCP P S Kushwaha. “ACP Govind Sharma’s team got a tip-off that a large consignment of marijuana would arrive in a truck at Geeta Colony.A trap was laid and 21 sacks filled with the contraband were seized,” he added.
Atveer disclosed that he had been in the business for close to 10 months. He had bought the truck to transport the drug from Odisha to Delhi. He was handed over the contraband in Behrampur after which he and Vijay drove it to the capital and gave it to a distributor. He got Rs 1,000 as commission for every kilogram. They used to pick up 2-3 consignments every month. Of late, the demand had risen in Delhi, they disclosed.
TOI had earlier reported that the consumption of marijuana has risen substantially amongst city youths. Crime Branch had seized 700kg in June, while Special Cell got hold of 540kg in February. Incidentally, both the consignments had been sent from Odisha. This year, there has been a 502% jump in Marijuana seizures, police data shows.
Odisha is one of the top marijuana-producing states in the country, police said. Ganja is grown illegally on vast stretches of inaccessible forested regions. “The state’s climatic condition also favours production. The growth is further aided by poverty and police movement in Maoist-affected hilly terrains,” an officer explained.
Sources said districts like Boudh, Gajapati Rayagada, Kandhamal, Malkangiri and Sambalpur have been identified as the major production hubs. In 2016-17, around 8,000 acres of marijuana farming was destroyed by law enforcement agencies across the country, half of which was in Odisha, sources said. NCB sources said of the total 1,82,622 kg of ganja seized across the country in 2016, 78,273kg was from Odisha.
Locals transport ganja on bikes from the fields to warehouses located in a 100km radius after which it is sent to other states and metros via SUVs, trains and trucks. Courier companies are used to transport the drug to west Asian countries.