Berhampur: Nine persons were arrested for illegally cultivating cannabis in a forest area at Luising under Kandhamal district’s Gochhapada police station limits on Friday. Around 30 acres of ganja cultivation has been destroyed in the area by police. The accused persons are residents of Raigada, Dhakudi, Rukpadar, Rutungia, Regadulu, Pipalpali, Badul and Ghusurumaha villages.Following a tip-off, a police team led by Subhrajit Biswal, sub-divisional police officer, Phulbani Sadar, raided the area, said SP (Kandhamal) Ramendra Prasad. During investigation, they found the arrested persons involved in the illegal ganja cultivation in the remote area by encroaching upon forest lands. “We are searching for other people involved in the illegal cultivation of the ganja in the area,” he said.On Oct 11, police arrested three persons for their alleged involvement in the illegal cultivation of cannabis in the forest land in Kakendri, a remote village under Phulbani Sadar police station limits, and destroyed around 30 acres of ganja plantation. In 2025-26, police destroyed the illegal ganja cultivation on around 19,000 hectares in the district. Police have seized around 80 tonnes of ganja worth over Rs 80 crore in the first nine months of 2026. Altogether 241 people were arrested for smuggling ganja, said the SP.
