Nandapur/Koraput: In a first, Koraput police arrested three farmers while they were allegedly tending cannabis plants in a 10-acre forest area near Disariguda and Lenziguda villages under Padua police station, officials said Friday.
Addressing a press conference at the Koraput police headquarters Friday, Superintendent of Police Rohit Varma said the arrests marked the first instance in which the district police had caught cannabis cultivators at their plantation site while tending the crop. He said around 12,000 cannabis plants were destroyed during the operation.
Acting on intelligence about illegal cannabis cultivation in the dense forest near the two villages, a police team led by Padua police station OIC Tunas Pidika, Sub-Inspector Umesh Dharua and other personnel raided the area. The three accused were allegedly found tending the cannabis plants and were taken into custody. In the presence of Nandapur Additional Tehsildar Madhab Pangi, police inspected the cultivation sites and destroyed the plants.
The arrested men were identified as Jayaram Gemel, 30, of Disariguda village, and Hasya Khara, 45, and Ghasi Gemel, 40, both of Lenzigu da village. Police also seized several hoes and bags of urea fertiliser from the cultivation site. An investigation is underway to determine the source of the fertiliser, officials said. A case (88/2026) was registered at Padua police station, and the three accused were produced in court, police said. Varma said the district police were pursuing a zero-tolerance policy against cannabis cultivation, illegal transportation of cannabis, illicit country-liquor distilleries and retail sellers as part of the ongoing anti-drug campaign.
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