Over 200 kg of ganja worth ₹1.1 crore seized in Vijayapura; one arrested

Vijayapura: Police have arrested a man after uncovering the illegal cultivation of more than 200 kg of ganja, valued at ₹1.1 crore, in a field at Dindwara village in Basavana Bagewadi taluk of Vijayapura district.

Addressing a press conference in Vijayapura on Sunday, District Superintendent of Police Laxman Nimbargi identified the arrested accused as Shivashankar Sharanappa Jeer.

According to the SP, beat police personnel received reliable information that the accused had illegally cultivated more than 500 cannabis plants concealed among toor dal crops in his field.

Acting on the information, a police team led by Basavana Bagewadi Deputy Superintendent of Police Chandrakant Nandereddy and Gurushanta Dashyal raided the field. The operation was conducted in accordance with the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, and the illegally cultivated crop was seized, Nimbargi said.

The seized ganja weighed more than 200 kg and was estimated to be worth ₹1.1 crore.

Commending the team for the operation, the SP announced cash rewards for the officers and personnel involved, including Chandrakant Nandereddy, Gurushanta Dashyal and their team members.

Nimbargi said the police department was taking serious steps to dismantle drug trafficking networks and curb the production, sale and consumption of narcotic substances in the district.

He added that beat police personnel across the jurisdictions of all police stations had been instructed to intensify efforts to identify and act against illegal drug-related activities.

The SP appealed to the public to immediately inform the police if they had any information about the production, sale or consumption of drugs in Vijayapura district.

He assured that the identities of informants would be kept strictly confidential and that suitable rewards would be provided by the department for credible information.