Hidden under maize crop, man grew ganja for years. A glitch gave him away

In Duttalur village, nestled along NH-565 that connects major highways, a farmer named U Subba Reddy was growing 1,731 ganja plants beneath a 6-feet tall maize field on 2 acres of land. The plants were thriving under a drip irrigation system, camouflaged as part of the maize crops. However, the scheme was exposed when the irrigation system broke, alerting the police.

On October 16, local police were tipped off about the illicit cultivation and seized the ganja plants. The farmers involved had allegedly grown ganja on 9.5 acres across 9 months, with Subba Reddy overseeing the operation for about three months. They also smuggled the ganja out of the state and sold it for significant profits. The victims confessed that nine others were involved in the scheme, including two financiers and two purchasers.

The seized crop was valued at crores of rupees. A case has been filed under the NDPS Act, 1985, and the illegal crops were destroyed by the authorities. These events occur on the heels of Andhra Pradesh's 'Operation Trishul', a state-wide campaign led by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, aiming for a drug-free state and zero tolerance towards crimes against women and road accidents.

In the past few days, the police have seized drugs from multiple sources, including a train bound from Bengaluru. Another seizure involved a truck in Visakhapatnam district allegedly carrying 385 kg of ganja.