In a significant crackdown on narcotics cultivation, the State Monitoring Cell (SMC) of the Gujarat police unearthed a large-scale cannabis farm in a remote village, leading to a major seizure and an arrest. The operation, carried out on Tuesday, targeted agricultural land in the Botad district, resulting in the confiscation of ganja plants valued at close to one crore rupees.
Details of the Botad District Raid
The raid was conducted at a farm located in Nani Vavdi village of Ranpur taluka in Botad district. Acting on a specific intelligence tip-off, the SMC team discovered that cannabis was being cultivated on an interior patch of the agricultural property. The farm was owned by Ajitsinh Barad, who was subsequently arrested as the primary accused in the case.
Officers reported the recovery of 93 cannabis plants with a total weight of 198.19 kilograms. The estimated street value of the narcotic plants alone is a staggering Rs 99.09 lakh. In addition to the plants, the police seized a mobile phone, Rs 6,000 in cash, and a vehicle. The collective value of all seized articles amounts to approximately Rs 99.50 lakh.
Investigation and Suspects at Large
According to a senior SMC officer, the accused had been cultivating the illegal crop for about five months and the plants were nearing harvest at the time of the raid. "He claimed he was growing it for the first time and was looking for customers," the officer stated. However, the police have expressed skepticism about this claim.
"We doubt his theory. A cultivation of this scale suggests planning and support. We will investigate further to understand the supply chain and the intended market," the officer added. The police are now probing a wider network and have identified three other individuals as wanted suspects in this case.
The wanted persons have been named as Mahaveersinh Padhiyar of Nani Vavdi, Dhamabhai Solanki of Saragvala village in Dholka, and Ratansinh Chavda of Sundariyana in Ranpur. Chavda is suspected to have been the supplier of the cannabis seeds used for cultivation.
Legal Proceedings and Future Action
The arrested accused and all seized materials have been handed over to the local police station for further investigation. The SMC has confirmed that a First Information Report (FIR) will be registered under the stringent Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
Authorities have indicated that more arrests are likely as the investigation progresses. The focus will be on unraveling the entire supply chain, from seed sourcing to the intended distribution network, to curb the drug trade in the region effectively.
