AGARTALA, November 22 (TIWN): In a massive anti-cannabis drive, Tripura police destroyed cannabis plants (Ganja Plants) worth more than Rs 50 lakh at Gabtali, here today. Acting on a tip off a police team led by S.D.P.O. Harimohan Das along with officer-in-charge of Amtali police station Pranjit Ghosh under West Tripura district raided at Gabtali and found major plantation of cannabis in the middle of a rubber plantation.

S.D.P.O. Harimohan Das along with officer-in-charge of Amtali police station Pranjit Ghosh initiated the destruction programme, where more than 10,000 of cannabis plants worth of above Rs 50 lakh was burned to ashes.

The destruction operation was continued till the evening. However, no arrest has been made in connection with the case and police added that a search operation has been continuing to arrest the owner of the plantation. The worth of these plants in the open market was expected to be around Rs 50 lakh. Cannabis is grown on a large scale in interior and inaccessible areas of the state.

Since most of these plantations are tucked away in hills and forests, government agencies have a tough time destroying these. According to an official source, a large number of villagers in the state cultivate ganja and smuggle it to Bangladesh through the porous international border to earn a fast buck. “There is a huge demand for ganja in Bangladesh, and Tripura plays a key role in meeting this demand”, he added.