Berhampur: Ganja traffickers in Gajapati district have begun destroying their stockpiles amid an intensified police crackdown in the tribal-dominated region. The contraband is being burnt or dumped in ponds and wells to evade seizure.“During raids, we found large quantities of ganja burnt in a remote village under Kirima panchayat in R Udayagiri police station limits. In several cases, traffickers had dumped ganja into village ponds and wells,” said SDPO (R Udayagiri) Rakesh Sahoo.Police have also recovered ganja buried in pits and concealed in hilltop areas. However, consignments dumped in deep wells could not be retrieved. “Smugglers are adopting these methods to avoid arrest,” Sahoo said.Under a special anti-narcotics drive, mainly in Adava and R Udayagiri police station areas, police have seized over 21 tonnes of ganja in the past four months — the highest ever in the district. The contraband is estimated to be worth around Rs 21 crore.Sahoo said around 20 raids were conducted in key trafficking pockets, including Kirima, Sambalpur, Kesariguda, Raipanaka and adjoining panchayats. Seven persons have been arrested, while about 12 suspects managed to flee during operations.Earlier, traffickers stored ganja in houses for transportation. With frequent police raids, they have shifted to forest dumps, hilltops, intermontane valleys, underground pits and temporary thatched structures.Police claimed that sustained operations have nearly halted illegal transportation in the area over the past few months. Based on intel inputs, teams led by the SDPO have been conducting regular raids in remote pockets.Police said the crackdown on illegal storage and trafficking will continue.
