BISHALGARH, Sep 29 (TIWN): About 50,000 marijuana plants were destroyed in the bordering villages of Konaban area Tripura during a joint drive by the BSF, police, forest department, excise and the general administration.

Based on specific information of the field intelligence team of the BSF Gakulnagar Sector, the action was mounted in two places in the forest area of Konaban near  the Bangladesh border.

The civil administration, police and the BSF we start destruction of cannabis which is locally known as ganja. We have started from the Konaban area and its adjacent areas. We have destructed around 50,000 cannabis plants and in the international market its price is around 30 crores," said SDM, Bishalghar.

"Our activity will go on until and unless we completely destroy the ganja cultivation in the total areas of Bishalghar and its adjacent subdivision. Usually it is smuggled outside as well as to various parts of our country. Our main motto is to completely eradicate this bad practice from this area," he added.

Several government agencies are coordinating the drive and making people aware of the hazards of its cultivation but it remains a lucrative business with a kilo of dry marijuana fetching between Rs 5,000 to Rs 7,000.

Marijuana is illegally cultivated in the Sepahijala district of Tripura for being smuggled mainly to Bangladesh.