DRI destroys 9.49 acres of illegally cultivated cannabis in Maharashtra's Dhule

Photo credit : DRI, Mumbai

In a major operation, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) Mumbai, in collaboration with its Pune and Nagpur regional units, on Wednesday destroyed illegally cultivated cannabis in 9.49 acres of land in Dhule district of Maharashtra, the officials said.

They said that acting on specific intelligence, officers of the DRI identified illicit cannabis farms in Khamkheda Ambe and Rohini villages in Dhule which is situated along the Madhya Pradesh-Maharashtra border.

Following extensive surveillance, the suspicious sites were investigated and DRI's action was followed, an official said.

The DRI officers sought the assistance of the concerned district administration and judicial magistrate.

"Upon investigation, seven sites covering a total area of 9.493 acres were discovered to be cultivating cannabis illegally. Notably, the use of drip irrigation indicated a well-organised operation designed to maximise yield. Gunny bags filled with dried ganja were found strewn across the fields, further substantiating the illicit activity," said an official.

In the presence of the judicial magistrate, the sites were thoroughly measured, and geo-tagged photographs were taken to document the findings, the officials said.

Land records for all seven locations were subsequently traced with the help of the district administration, revealing that the plots had been encroached upon and illegally utilised for cannabis cultivation and in accordance with Section 48 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, the illegally cultivated cannabis fields were subjected to official attachment and destruction, an official statement said.

A total of 96,049 cannabis plants spanning 9.493 acres were uprooted and destroyed. Around 420.39 kg of ganja, which was recovered from gunny bags found at the sites, was seized under the provisions of the NDPS Act, 1985, the officials said.

The NDPS Act strictly prohibits the cultivation, possession, sale, purchase, and consumption of narcotic and psychotropic substances. Any violation of the law can result in severe penalties, including fines and imprisonment for up to 20 years, an official DRI statement said.