In Kullu, police destroy 12,000 illegally cultivated poppies
According to Kullu SP Kartikeyan Gokulachandran, 12,732 illegally grown poppies in Jhaniyar village, Banjar subdivision, were found and burned by the police today.
He continued by saying that two distinct cases had been filed under Section 18 of the Narcotics, Drugs, and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act against unidentified individuals, and that more inquiries were being conducted. According to the SP, 170 grams of opium and 37,570 poppies have been seized by the police so far this year.
According to the SP, frequent patrols are being conducted to reduce the drug problem in the valley. He exhorted the public to assist the police in combating the drug scourge by providing information concerning narcotics. He continued by saying that the police would be in charge of the informers’ protection and that their identities would be kept a secret.
Drug traffickers have taken to growing poppies and cannabis plants in isolated areas, primarily forests, and hiring laborers to harvest the illegal goods. This way, even if the police find the plantation and seize the crop, the kingpin usually escapes justice and stays out of the spotlight. Even when an unlawful production is discovered on private property, it may often be difficult to identify the grower, according to a legal expert.
