Visakhapatnam police destroy over 20,000 kg cannabis worth Rs 20 crore

Over 3,300 accused arrested in NDPS cases across Visakhapatnam range in 2 years

Visakhapatnam: The Visakhapatnam Range police on Thursday destroyed as many as 20,876 kg of dry cannabis worth over Rs 20 crore, along with 23.68 kg of hashish oil at the Coastal Waste Management Plant in JN Pharma City at Parawada in Anakapalle district.Home minister V Anitha, accompanied by IG Visakha Range Gopinath Jatti, initiated the destruction process at a programme attended by SPs under the Visakha Range. Anitha said their govt committed to the drug-free society. She stated that besides cracking down on cannabis cultivation and ganja trafficking networks, the government is simultaneously promoting alternative crops in tribal areas to improve farmer’s livelihoods.

She added that the govt is coordinating with interstate and international agencies to dismantle narcotics networks and freeze the assets of offenders.The police said they have registered 1,142 NDPS cases and arrested 3,377 accused persons from July 2024 to June 2026. About 65,560 kg of ganja, 83.19 kg of hashish oil was recovered, while 832 vehicles used for transportation of narcotics were seized. The police said that in a bid to weaken the financial networks of drug traffickers, properties worth Rs 11.02 crore belonging to 18 accused persons in 19 cases were frozen.