Barwani (Madhya Pradesh), Sep 14 — More than 26,000 cannabis plants weighing over 27 quintals and valued at more than Rs 1.15 crore have been seized from five fields in remote forest and hilly areas of Madhya Pradesh's Barwani district, police said on Monday.
The action was carried out under "Operation Green Strike", in which 12 teams comprising more than 400 police personnel from Barwani, Khargone and Khandwa districts conducted simultaneous searches in 19 villages under the Varla police station limits.
Police used drones to identify suspected cannabis plantations in the difficult terrain and then conducted searches on foot to reach the locations. The five fields were found in the remote areas of Dokaliyapani, Dhawaliyagir, Bagdari, Takiyapani and Adnadi villages, where the teams seized more than 26,000 cannabis plants.
Barwani Superintendent of Police Padmavilochan Shukla said the operation was planned to detect illegal cannabis cultivation in remote areas that are difficult to access. "Drone surveillance helped us identify suspected cultivation sites in the remote hilly and forest areas, following which police teams reached the locations and carried out searches," Shukla said in a press conference. The fields were found to be located on forest land, following which police have sought details from the Forest Department regarding the leaseholders or occupants of the land. Shukla said the investigation would focus on identifying the persons involved in cultivating cannabis and establishing their connection with the land. "We are also collecting details of the persons occupying or using these forest land parcels. Once their role is established, action will be taken under the relevant provisions of law," he said.
The operation involved police personnel from three districts and was conducted simultaneously at multiple locations because of the difficult terrain and the spread of the suspected cultivation sites. The Madhya Pradesh Police has been conducting intensified operations against the illegal cultivation, transportation and trafficking of narcotic substances.
Police said that drones and other modern surveillance equipment were being used to identify illicit cultivation in forested and inaccessible areas.